What to do when you get something in your eye

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Got some dust in your eye? Or some other irritant like an eyelash or cigarette ash? Examine your eye. Is it red? Swollen? Is it tearing? What do you feel? Does it itch? Burn? Is your vision blurred? How to proceed?

You can use the following technique to help others as well as yourself.

Before doing anything, make sure you don’t do what you absolutely shouldn’t: rub or press the eye, lift the eyelid, or remove contact lenses without washing your hands.

Let nature do its work - it is usually effective. Tears and natural eye movements will usually get rid of the irritation.

Try rinsing your eye with some warm water, or with drops. You can pull on the skin around the eyes, but don’t touch the eyelid. If this doesn’t work, wash your hands, and then lift both the upper and lower eyelids to locate the irritant. Is it on the inside of one of the eyelids, or is it stuck to the eyeball itself? Pour some sterilized, warm water on your eye to flush the irritant out.

If you can’t locate the irritant or if the discomfort persists after you have removed the particle, you would better consult a doctor.