About this topic
A black eye is an injury to the eye. It is also called an eye contusion. It is caused by an injury to the face or head. Blood and fluid collect in the space around the eye. This causes swelling and bruising. The bruising will change colors over time. It will often be blue to purple for 1 to 2 days after the injury. Next, the area will be greenish in color for 5 to 7 days after the injury. The skin will turn yellowish for 8 to 10 days after the injury and then most often return to normal color. ‚
A black eye can heal without treatment. A black eye can be a sign of a more serious injury. Your doctor may order an x-ray or other tests to make sure you are okay. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Your doctor may give you drugs for pain. Make sure to take all the drugs ordered by your doctor.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Do this for the first 2 days. Do not press it onto the eye itself.
- After 2 days, your doctor may tell you to use heat to help with pain. Put a heating pad or warm towel on your sore area for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
- Sleep on the side of the eye that is not injured.
- Avoid rubbing, touching, or pressing the injured eye.
- For an itchy eye, wet a cloth with water and gently wipe the eye.
- Talk to your doctor before wearing contact lenses.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
Will physical activity be limited?
The swelling may make your eyesight blurry. This could stop you from doing your usual activities. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Problems with eyesight
- Infection
- Bleeding inside the eyes
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
Protect your eyes when playing sports or working with machinery. ‚
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher; chills; wound that will not heal; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge from your eye.
- Problems seeing like things look blurry, seeing two of everything, or not seeing everything
- Too much tearing
- More swelling around the eye
- Not able to move your eye
- More redness or blood on your eye
- Very bad headache
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more swelling around my eye, my eye is more red, or if I am not able to move my eye.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Ophthalmology ‚
http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/black-eye.cfm ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/eye_injury.html# ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚