A cut in the eye, medically known as a corneal abrasion, is among the most common eye injuries that people get. The cornea, which is the clear coating on the front of the eye to protect the iris and vision, can be damaged due to dust in the eye, floating particles, or even a paper cut to the eye (which I have had- ouch! Really hurts). Here is what to do for a cut in the eye, and what you should never, ever do for a cut in the eye.
The first thing you should do for a cut in the eye is to flush the eye with a saline solution, or plain water if you have none available. If you cannot hold the eye open under running water or saline solution, fill a clean cup full of fresh water and place your eye over the cup’s rim, resting your eye socket bone directly on the rim. Blink rapidly in the water or solution, allowing whatever particle is in the eye to hopefully flush out and keep bacteria out.
Don’t ever rub at your eye or stick your finger in your eye to try to get something out of it. This can make whatever is in the eye scratch your cornea even worse, and lets in tons of bacteria. Rather, if you have no access to clean water or saline solution (contact solution as well), then look up toward the ceiling or sky and blink like crazy, creating tears. Try not to just squeeze your eyes shut. Use your tears to hopefully flush out what is in your eye.
Continue blinking and/or flushing the eye out with water or saline solution until the pain and irritation is gone. Refrain from rubbing at or touching the eye. If the urge to rub at the eye is strong, blink several times- this creates natural tears to lubricate and protect the eye. Again, try not to squeeze your eye shut if debris is still in there- this can cause the debris to further puncture or damage your eye and just make things worse.
Use your eyelashes to help flush out what is in your eye if the object stuck in there is being stubborn. Pull your upper eyelid over your lower eyelid so your lower lashes can get deep in there and sweep out what is in your eye. Again, do not rub at or touch your eye with your fingers. If the object is really stuck, blink a lot while moving your eyeball around to help dislodge whatever is in there.
If you cannot find relief from what is in your eye, if what is in your eye is causing bleeding or severe pain, or if you have trouble seeing after removing debris from your eye, then your cut is in serious shape. Seek medical care if you cannot dislodge what is in your eye, or if the cut on your cornea is affecting your vision. A simple cut on your cornea can result in permanent vision loss if it is not properly treated.
A cut on your cornea should sting for a while, but should begin to feel better and reduce in eye redness and bloodshot appearance within a half hour, and a simple ice pack over the eye should help with pain. If pain persists much longer than that, seek medical care, even if there is no longer any pain, particularly if there are burst blood vessels or blood in the eye. This is very serious, even if there is no pain or swelling.
Source:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-corneal-abrasion/FA00037
