RV TRAVEL FIRST AID FOR EYE INJURIES

ALL EYE INJURIES SHOUD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND ALL SHOULD BE CHECKED BY A PHYSICIAN.
You can treat many minor eye irritations by flushing the eye, but more serious injuries require medical attention.

There are many causes of eye injuries. Some of these include:
- physical blow to the eye
- a grain of sand or splinter of wood can scratch the cornea and induce infection
- excessive exposure to the sun, very low humidity or a strong wind may dry the eyes so much they feel like sandpaper rubbing against your lids.
- insect bites.

FIRST AID:
Routine Irritations
(sand, dirt, and other foreign bodies on the eye surface)
Do not try to remove any foreign body except by flushing, because of the risk of scratching the surface of the eye, especially the cornea.
Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the eyelids to examine or flush the eye.
Do not touch, press, or rub the eye.
Do whatever you can to keep the child from touching it.
Tilt the head over a basin with the affected eye down and gently pull down the lower lid, encouraging the person to open her eyes as wide as possible. For an infant or small child, it is helpful to have a second person hold the child's eyes open while you flush.
Gently pour a steady stream of lukewarm water from a pitcher (do not heat the water) across the eye. Sterile saline solution can also be used.
Flush for up to 15 minutes, checking the eye every 5 minutes to see if the foreign body has been flushed out.
Since a particle can scratch the cornea and cause an infection, the eye should be examined by a doctor if there continues to be any irritation afterward.
If a foreign body is not dislodged by flushing, it will probably be necessary for a trained medical practitioner to flush the eye.

Embedded Foreign Body:
(an object penetrates the globe of the eye)
Call for emergency medical help.
Cover the affected eye. If the object is small, use an eye patch or sterile dressing. If the object is large, cover the injured eye with a small cup taped in place.
The point is to keep all pressure off the globe of the eye.

Chemical Exposure:
Flush the eye with lukewarm water for 15 to 30 minutes. If both eyes are affected, do it in the shower.
Call for emergency medical help.
Be prepared to give the exact name of the chemical, look on the product's container for an emergency number to call for instructions.

To ease the discomfort of an insect bite that has not caused a severe allergic reaction:
Gently wash the eye(s) with warm water.
Ask your doctor whether or not you should take an antihistamine and have him or her recommend one.

ALL EYE INJURIES SHOUD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND ALL SHOULD BE CHECKED BY A PHYSICIAN.