Have your child wear sunglasses outside to prevent damage caused by ultraviolet light.
A person with an injured eye may have sensitivity to light, redness and swelling of the eye and eyelid, blurred vision, pain in or around the eye, cut or torn eyelids, unusual pupil size or shape, and bleeding in or around the eye. A blow to or around the eye may cause massive swelling and bruising to the eyelid (a black eye) within 24 hours of the injury. Pain, reduced vision, and discoloration can be a sign of internal eye damage and your child will need medical attention right away.
Always wash your hands before examining your child’s eyelids. Never touch, press or rub the eye itself and try to keep your child from touching his or her eye.
Sometimes foreign objects get into the eye. To find the object, have the child look up, down, and side-to-side. If you see the object on the surface of the eye, try to flush it with water or saline or try lifting the upper eyelid and gently pulling downward on the lower lid to produce tears that may help wash the object out of the eye. Rinse the eye again after the object has been removed. Do not rub the eye, or try to remove anything that appears to be lodged in the eye. If rinsing the eye does not flush the object out, cover both eyes with a cloth (do not apply pressure) and call your child’s doctor.
If your child gets a black eye, apply a cold compress. Prop up your child’s head with an extra pillow and avoid any pressure on the eye. If there is pain, severe discoloration, vision problems, or if there is any noticeable injury to the eyeball, there may be internal damage or broken bones around the eye and your child will need medical attention.
For cuts and punctures to the eye, cover the eye without applying pressure. Do not wash the eye with water or try to remove any objects that may be stuck in the eye or lid.