Tricks to remove foreign objects from the eye

Sand on the beach, dust from the street or an eyelash while putting on make-up – it can literally be glaring. The feeling of having something foreign in your eye or under your eyelid can be really annoying. No matter how small the foreign body, the eye is extremely sensitive, waters easily and turns red. Tears are good in this case, but they don’t always flush out a foreign body. So what?

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How do I get eyelashes, sand or dust out of my eyes?

If a foreign body – such as dust, a grain of sand or an eyelash – gets in your eye, it gives you a nasty feeling. The first impulse: It has to go. However, you should remain calm and not rub your eyes. The following tips will help to get the foreign body out. The following applies: before you look at yourself, wash your hands first!

• If eyelashes, dust or sand are visible, gently brush the foreign object towards your nose and gently try to remove it. A damp cotton swab can work wonders.
• If the foreign body is on or under the lower eyelid, you can use the same method: stroking towards the nose with gentle movements. This works quite well with lost eyelashes. If you have long nails, you should be particularly careful. A clean cloth protects.
• If tears or stroking don’t help, an eye bath may help. Either you dip your face in a bowl of warm water, then open your eyes and look back and forth. The foreign body usually detaches and is flushed out. There are also small eye-sized bowls for eye cleaning that you can get in pharmacies or online.
• Eye rinses, eye drops or artificial tear fluids, for example for contact lens wearers, are also helpful for flushing out foreign bodies. You can also get all of this in pharmacies or drugstores.

If nothing helps, a look from experts will help

Sometimes the foreign body is already out, but the irritated eye still gives the signal: “There’s something there.” Then you should consult an ophthalmologist.

Source: augeninfo.de; Gesundes-auge.de; healthline.com

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