What is first aid for eye injuries?

Caring for a fishhook eye injury

• Do not try to remove a fishhook from an eye, eyelid, or near an eye.
• Do not put pressure on the eye.
• Cover the eye and fishhook with a metal patch, a cup, or even a paper cup.

  Covering the eye prevents the hook from moving.

  Be very careful not to put pressure on the hook or the eye.

• Cover the uninjured eye, if possible.

  The injured eye will move less if the uninjured eye is covered. This may prevent further damage to the injured eye.

How to clean a minor cut near the eye

1. Stop the bleeding
   • Wear medical gloves, or if gloves are not available, use a clean cloth or plastic bag or cleanest material available.
   • Apply light pressure to a very minor skin cut near the eye to stop the bleeding.

   Do not apply any pressure to the eyeball.
2. Clean the cut.
   • Wash your hands and wear gloves if they are available.
   • Wash the cut under running tap water and use a washcloth to remove all the dirt, debris, and bacteria from the wound.
3. Bandage the cut.
   • Use a sterile bandage if you have one.
   • If you don't have one, use a clean bandage or cloth.
   • Don't use fluffy cotton bandages around the eye. They could come apart and stick to the eye.
4. Decide if more care is needed.
   • If the cut is more than very minor or if you are concerned, have the cut evaluated by a health professional.
   • A small cut on the inner eyelid may damage tear ducts and should be evaluated.