What a Dust Particle in Your Eye Can Do to Your Eye

Ouch! You feel something in your eye but you can’t see it. It may be a piece of dirt or dust, or it may be a speck of make-up or a particle from the air. No matter what it is, all you know is it doesn’t feel good!

Beyond not feeling good, these little particles that sneak into your eyes can cause some serious problems!

From scratching your cornea to rupturing your eye, there are a whole lot of things that could go wrong when you get a little bit of something floating on the surface of your eye if you don’t take care of it properly.

Trust how you feel. If your body hurts, it’s often trying to tell you something – the same with your eyes. If you feel pain around or in your eye, there’s usually a reason for it. If the pain is centralized, then there may be a particle causing that pain. In order to avoid scratching your cornea or causing permanent damage, make sure you only touch your eyelid gently as you try to wipe away the particle.

A better idea is to grab some saline solution and squirt it into your eye. If you don’t have saline, then just allow your tears to help you cleanse the object. Close your eye tight and try to make tears. Make sure to not press on the lid so you don’t inadvertently press that particle deeper into your eye.

If you feel the particle come out of your eye, or if you suddenly feel the pain from your eye go away, then you should be in the clear for scratches. If your eye continues to hurt for longer than a day after the particle is removed, go see your optometrist to make sure you didn’t leave an abrasion. Your optometrist will likely use a dyed eye drops to determine if there’s a scratch present on the surface of your eye. If so, there are prescription drops that can help heal the scratch more quickly.

Aside from the damage particles in the eye can cause, it’s possible it contained some harmful bacteria. Bacteria in the eye can lead to an eye infection. Cleanliness is key when it comes to dealing with and protecting the eyes, so keeping dirt off your hands and your face can help protect you from developing painful infections.

All in all, dirt particles in your eye can be a little dangerous, but nothing that can’t be fixed by some saline solution or a trip to your local optometrist! To protect your eyes from outdoor particles, always wear sunglasses! If you are working (or playing) in an environment where dirt particles are floating in the air, consider wearing safety goggles. Do what you can to protect your vision!