Corneal abrasion - Corneal foreign body

Low urgency
Common-

A corneal abrasion is any injury to the front part of the eye called the cornea.

It is a common eye emergency that can affect all ages. 

It is generally due to trauma or the presence of foreign bodies in the eye, such as dirt, contact lenses, etc.

It manifests with eye pain, foreign body sensation, tearing and red eye.

Diagnosis is made by a complete eye examination and slit lamp.

If possible, the foreign body should be removed and the pain treated with analgesics and antibiotic eye drops. It is not advisable to cover the eye with an eye patch or use corticosteroids or ocular anaesthetics.

Bibliographic references
  1. Deborah S Jacobs. Corneal abrasions and corneal foreign bodies: Clinical manifestations and diagnosis. UpToDate, Agosto 2016
  2. Deborah S Jacobs. Corneal abrasions and corneal foreign bodies: Management. UpToDate, Julio 2015
  3. Wipperman JL. Evaluation and management of corneal abrasions. Am Fam Physician 2013; 87:114.
  4. 10.Lim CH, Turner A, Lim BX. Patching for corneal abrasion. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016; 7:CD004764.
Author
Dr. Patricia Sánchez
Copyright
© TeckelMedical 2026

Symptoms

    Red eye due to blood vessels


    Eye pain


    Gritty sensation in the eye


    Significant eye watering


    Redness in only one eye

Symptoms to watch out for

Headache
Fever (temperature higher than 38 ºC)
Blurry vision

Self-care

Rinse the eye with clean water.
Blink several times to remove small particles.
Place the upper eyelid over the lower eyelid to stimulate tear production and help remove particles.
Do not remove deeply embedded objects.
Avoid rubbing the eyes.