Foreign Body Removal

Effective and Painless Foreign Body Removal in Manhattan, New York
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It’s not a secret that vision is one of the most important senses people have, and you need to take care of your eyes. Probably, every person may experience a foreign body in their eyes – it can be sand, a wood chip, an eyelash, metal shaving, dirt, a piece of glass, or sawdust that causes pain or irritation. Depending on what got into the eyes and how it happened, the foreign body can just go away in several minutes or cause an injury or even infection. Our eyes are very delicate, and if you try to remove the foreign body by yourself, it can end up with negative results and more painful feelings.

Of course, you can try to gently rinse your eye with water or wipe it away with a clean cotton applicator, and if the foreign body is easy to get to, the problem will be solved. But if these attempts are unsuccessful, you should visit an eye doctor immediately. Stop by one of our two boutiques in Manhattan, New York located on the Upper West Side (280 Columbus Ave) and Upper East Side (1249 3rd Ave) to get help from the most experienced and skilled optometrists who can examine your eyes and remove a foreign body using metal instruments and good illumination without any damage.. The doctor will put anesthetic drops in your eye to prevent any pain during the procedure.

Symptoms of Foreign Body

How to understand that you are having something in the eye? There are several symptoms when you may have a foreign body in your eye:

  • The unpleasant feeling that something is in the eye
  • Red and watery eye
  • Blurred vision or even loss of vision
  • Pain, irritation, and burning
  • Subconjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding)
  • The unpleasant scratchy feeling when you are blinking
  • Discomfort in the eye
  • Sensitivity to light

Most injuries caused by a foreign body are minor but there are some possible complications:

  • Scarring and infection – if the foreign body stays in your eye for a long time, it may cause infection and scarring. When the foreign body is removed, these symptoms should disappear
  • Corneal abrasions and scratches – if a foreign body scratches the eye cornea, it can cause abrasions and scratches.
  • Ulcer – it’s a defect on the eye surface that can affect vision and cause an abscess
  • Penetration of the eye – this is a very serious injury that can end up in blindness due to the eyeball damage

Removing a Foreign Body

Our optometrists can successfully remove any non-penetrating foreign bodies from your eye without pain. The doctor can use anesthetic eye drops to relieve pain during the manipulation. The optometrist doesn’t use a needle or scalpel for foreign body removal, and if a patient requires a scalpel or needle to remove a foreign body, this procedure must be done by an ophthalmologist. When the manipulation is completed, you may be prescribed painkillers and antibiotic eye drops to relieve pain and prevent eye infection. Minor injuries of the eye usually heal in 3-4 days if you follow all the doctor’s recommendations.

Medical treatment of a foreign body in the eye includes:

  • The eye doctor will examine your vision
  • If the foreign body is founded, it will be gently removed after dropping anesthetic in your eye
  • The eye doctor may wash your eye with sterile salt water to flush out dirt and dust
  • After removal, your eye may be patched
  • You will be recommended to visit the eye doctor again to check out if everything is right with your eye and vision. Do not miss this appointment!