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Originally written April 8, 2021
Have you ever been hit with a baseball or a stray elbow? After taking some time to heal, you may have noticed that the area around your eye turned dark. But what exactly happened to your eye, and how can you treat it?
A black eye is due to blood and other fluids collecting in the space around the eyelids after an injury. The tissues from the forehead down to the upper cheeks are all connected. With gravity, the fluid usually settles down around the eyes. As a result, your eyelids can still swell even if your injury starts at your forehead.
Because the skin around the eyes is loose, it can swell much faster than you anticipate. Even rubbing your eyes can cause the lids to swell more, which is why you should avoid touching your eye after an immediate impact. The bleeding and swelling can also affect the white area around your eyeball known as the cornea, making it look red.
Symptoms of a black eye can include bruising, swelling, and tenderness to the touch. If your eyeball is irritated, your vision will also be blurred.
More serious symptoms include double vision, vision loss, or a numb patch of skin around your lower eyelid and cheek. Other serious symptoms include an inability to move the eye, a severe or long-lasting headache, fainting, and bleeding from the ears or nose.
If you experience any of these serious symptoms, seek medical attention immediately as they are signs of a more concerning issue.
According to CEENTA ophthalmologist Joshua Rheinbolt, MD, from our Concord office, "A hit with enough force can cause the floor of your eye socket to break. It can also damage the nerve that gives sensation to your cheek area." Damage to your eye muscles can cause you to have trouble moving your eyes up or give you double vision. If you see bleeding on your eye, it usually isn’t dangerous. If the red spot on the white part of the eye is accompanied by a severe scratchy feeling, you might have a scratch on your cornea or the surface of your eye.
If you are not experiencing serious issues such as vision loss, black eyes can usually be treated at home. These remedies can include:
If the black eye does not improve after a few days, or you experience vision problems, make an appointment with an eye doctor.
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie The Sandlot is the main character receiving a black eye while playing catch. Unlike the movie's depiction, you should not apply steak or frozen foods to your face to treat a black eye, as this can lead to a bacterial infection. While this may have been a popular remedy in the 1950s when the film was set, our understanding of proper eye care and bacterial spreading has grown sense that time.
If you are concerned about a black eye, one of CEENTA’s board-certified ophthalmologists can examine you and make sure you get the care you need to preserve your vision. Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with Dr. Rheinbolt at our Concord office today using our online scheduling tool or myCEENTAchart if you are an existing patient.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor.
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