Can You Safely Blow Debris From Eye?
SEP 28, 2015
Question:
If someone gets dirt in their eye or an eyelash in their eye is it safe for you to blow air in their eye? I helped a friend recently this way and it worked. The friend tried saline solution first but it wasn't coming out fast enough.
Answer:
If any debris gets into the eye, the safest treatment is to flush the eye with saline. Blowing air is unlikely to be successful and may contaminate the eye with saliva. If saline doesn’t work, the particle may be embedded and will require a visit to your ophthalmologist. At times, patients still feel something in their eye even though no particle remains in the eye due to damage on the corneal surface. Your ophthalmologist will be able to see if any substances are remaining in the eye.