Black Eye - Remedies for the Treatment of Black Eye

This morning’s racquetball game was going so well-until your opponent hit that unbelievable shot that bounced off the wall and hit you right in the eye. After he finished apologizing profusely and the pain subsided somewhat, you picked up your ego and went home. But now you’re beginning to resemble a prizefighter who lost the prize! Your eyelid is nearly swollen shut, the area around your eye is turning black and blue, and the throbbing pain is back in full force. You’re starting to wonder if there’s more to this injury than meets the eye.

As horrifying as a black eye can look-and as embarrassing as it can be to explain-it is usually nothing that will cause lasting or serious damage. “A black eye is simply a hemorrhage around the eye. The blood underneath the skin comes through as a purplish color. While there are many diseases and conditions that can cause black eyes [see “Other Causes of Black Eyes”], a true shiner is most often the result of trauma to the eye caused by a fistfight or a sports injury,” says Jon H. Bosland, M.D., a general ophthalmologist in private practice in Bellevue, Washington. “If the swelling comes down rapidly and your vision is good, it is not likely that there is any serious damage to the eye,” he says.

Still, Bosland urges anyone with a black eye to see a doctor in order to rule out damage to the eye itself. (It is especially important to see a doctor without delay if there is any change in vision.) Once you are sure everything is all right, there are some steps you can take at home to care for your shiner. There are also some preventive measures that you can take to help keep your eyes out of the black in the future.

Ice the area. “This will reduce the swelling and numb some of the initial pain,” says Carol Ziel, M.D., an ophthalmologIst with the Eye Clinic of Wausau in Wisconsin. Hold an ice pack or some ice cubes wrapped in a washcloth on the eye.”Putting crushed ice in a plastic bag and placing
the bag on top of a cold washcloth over the eye also works well,” says Charles Boylan, M.D., a pediatric ophthalmologist at A Children’s Eye Clinic of Seattle.

Pack it in popcorn or peas. A bag of frozen, unpopped popcorn kernels or frozen peas placed over a washcloth on the affected eye can also help cool the area and bring some relief.

Clean it up. Clean any small lacerations with mild soap and water. “Then continue to keep them clean and dry,” says Ziel. This will help to keep to area from becoming infected with bacteria. “Sometimes, the tissue around the eye can actually split because the soft tissue is being pushed against a hard surface of underlying bone. You can get a considerable hemorrhage from this, which can leave a bit of a lump afterward,” adds Bosland.

Avoid pressing on the eye itself. The area has already been traumatized enough, and pressing it will only cause further trauma, says Bosland. be gentle” when you apply an ice pack or clean the area.

Keep your chin up. OK, so you look and feel a little like Rocky Balboa. Be thankful you can see yourself in the mirror, and try to resign yourself to the added color for a while. “The discoloration tends to last one to two weeks,” says Bosland. It ill lessen during that time, but it won’t fade
completely for a couple of weeks or so.

Wear goggles. As is true with so many injuries, the best treatment is prevention. While you may not necessarily like the way you look in goggles, wearing them can help you ensure that you’ll be able to see the way you look.

Any sport that involves close contact with other lividuals and/or the use of a small ball of some sort is likely to put you at risk for a black eye. “The ajority of black eyes we see are caused by the eye being hit by an elbow, hand, or knee or by an object small enough to fit inside the bony structure round the eye,” says Boylan. Tennis doesn’t really qualify because the ball is too big. But squash, racquetball, and skiing (the end of the pole can hit the eye) are particularly dangerous to the eye. And basketball, where arms and legs are flying in close quarters, can also leave you vulnerable to a nasty black eye.

To protect your eyes, Boylan suggests that you wear protective eye wear, such as goggles or even glasses with shatterproof glass or plastic lenses. “Anyone with only one good eye should always wear protective eye wear if there is a chance of being hit with anything,” stresses Boylan.

As far as how to choose the right goggles or glasses, it’s not too difficult. “Make sure the lenses are shatterproof and the glasses or goggles fit comfortably,” says Boylan. “The goggles worn by squash and racquetball players often don’t contain any lenses, and that’s OK. The frame itself will keep the ball away from the eye,” he continues. Most sporting goods stores, as well as eye-wear stores, carry protective eye wear for sporting events. If you can’t locate any, consult your eye doctor.

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