Sand in the eye: how do you get sand out of your eyes? Even a single grain of sand in the eye can be quite painful and lead to even more painful eye inflammation and scratches on the cornea. A sudden gust of wind or handling building materials can hurl sand, splinters or other sharp objects into the eye at high speed, where they become painfully lodged. To alleviate the painful experience as quickly as possible, the grain of sand or other foreign object should be removed from the eye immediately but carefully.
Just don't rub
Never rub the eyes wildly with your fingers, as this can cause the grain of sand to anchor even deeper and damage the cornea.
How to get the sand out of your eyes
When a foreign body enters the eye, the eye's natural reaction is to increase the flow of tears to flush out the foreign body and form a protective barrier between the object and the cornea. It therefore makes sense to increase the natural flow of tears with artificial tears.
Wash your hands first
Hands must be washed thoroughly before touching the affected eye. Fill a clean mug with lukewarm water. It is safest to let the tap run for a full minute beforehand. This prevents small particles from the water pipes from getting into the eye with the water.
Rinse the sand out of your eyes
Place the beaker with the water on a flat surface and insert the eye completely into it. Blink as much as possible. It usually takes less than a minute to rinse out the grain of sand, but you can continue to rinse for up to 15 minutes if it does not come out immediately.
Beware of infection
The eye should then be observed for a few days for signs of a possible infection. Typical signs of an eye infection are redness, swelling, eye discharge and pressure or pain. In the first few hours after the foreign body has been flushed out, it is possible that you may still think it is in the eye, even though it is no longer there.
How to get sand out of your eyes without water
If no water is available, try to let the eye water as much as possible on its own. If the object cannot be rinsed out of the eye at all, you should see a doctor to be on the safe side. In case of acute pain, do not try to hold the eye open, but keep it closed.
Eye drops against irritation
If you have eye drops to hand, you should use them to rinse your eyes. However, you should not keep an opened bottle of eye drops for more than six weeks, as germs can form there. If your eyes are irritated, it is also advisable to buy antiseptic eye drops from the pharmacy.
How can I remove a foreign body in the eye?
Conjunctivitis: How to recognise the cause
If the eye is irritated, it is important to clarify the cause. It may be viral conjunctivitis (triggered by viruses), an allergy (hay fever) or a bacterial infection.
