Eye wash: indications, preparation, rules of conduct

An effective method for eliminating eye fatigue and irritation is rinsing. Let's consider popular ophthalmic solutions and the rules for their use.

A paired sensory organ with high sensitivity is the eyes. They have a complex structure: cornea, anterior chamber, iris, pupil, lens, vitreous body, retina, sclera and optic nerve. The main functions of the eyes are:

• Light and color perception.
• Peripheral vision.
• Central (object) vision.
• Stereoscopic vision.

The most sensitive is the cornea. It is a transparent membrane that covers the front part of the eye. It has no blood vessels, but it has a high refractive power.

The organs of vision are not protected from mechanical damage, negative impact of viruses, bacteria, infections. Irrigation of the conjunctival sac with a stream of liquid allows to remove foreign bodies from the eye, relieve redness, irritation. The treatment method is used for many ophthalmological diseases.

In some cases, rinsing is much more important than further treatment. This concerns the effects of aggressive substances, since the longer the irritant acts, the more serious the inflammatory process. Purified or boiled water is most often used for irrigation, rinsing solutions are also effective: Furacilin, Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, Miramistin, Penicillin. Various herbal infusions and decoctions, antiseptics and even tea leaves are excellent.

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Indications for the procedure

A speck of dust or any foreign body that gets into the eyes causes discomfort and pain. The protective system of the visual organs does not always cope with the natural cleansing of the cornea with tears. In this case, a rinsing procedure is necessary. Let's consider the main indications for its implementation:

1. Foreign body penetration – redness, burning, increased lacrimation, painful sensations when closing the eyelid.

• Dust, debris, sand.
• Detergents, cosmetics and other low-hazard chemicals.
• Midges and other small insects.

2. Impact of mechanical factors (penetrating, non-penetrating).

• Metal fragments, shavings, glass.
• Compression of the eyeball.
• Corneal rupture.

3. Thermal burns and frostbite – exposure of the mucous membrane to cold liquids and piercing wind. Contact with hot steam, boiling water, smoldering objects, flames.
4. Hazardous chemicals – solvents, various acids and alkalis, lime, glue.
5. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation – damage to the cornea occurs when it is exposed to direct sunlight and other rays.
6. Inflammatory diseases (conjunctivitis).
7. Increased dryness due to prolonged visual stress.
8. Itchy eyes.
9. Pain (most often occurs after prolonged work at the computer).
10. Eye souring in newborns.

In all the above cases, rubbing your eyes with your hands is strictly contraindicated, as this can injure the eyeball. Rinsing with clean water at room temperature or a medicinal solution will alleviate the painful condition and help restore normal vision.

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Eye wash for conjunctivitis

The most common ophthalmological disease that both adults and children face is conjunctivitis. The painful condition occurs due to the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the eyes. Most often, infection occurs when rubbing the organs of vision with dirty hands. Inflammation can develop due to prolonged exposure to a draft or chapping. Another possible cause of increased lacrimation and burning is an allergic reaction.

In any case, when symptoms of conjunctivitis appear, the question arises of how to eliminate the disease. Treatment directly depends on the causes:

• In case of bacterial infection, special drops should be used, for example, Levomycetin or Albucid.
• In case of viral infection, ointments that are placed behind the eyelid are recommended: Zovirax, Florenal, Bonafton, Virolex.
• If the discomfort is caused by an allergy, therapy consists of taking antihistamines.

Regardless of the form and type of the disease, before starting its treatment, it is necessary to wash the eyes. A simple and effective procedure allows you to quickly wash out the infection and eliminate painful sensations.

Effective flushing solutions:

1. Clean cool water has a beneficial effect on the organs of vision. Fill a large container with water and dip your face in it for a couple of seconds and blink well so that the liquid washes your eyes. You can splash water on your face, but your eyes should be open.
2. Strong black or green tea without additives or flavorings is another effective remedy for conjunctivitis. To perform the procedure, soak two cotton pads in tea and apply them for 10-30 seconds. Then gently wipe from the outer to the inner corner. You can make compresses from tea bags by simply applying them to inflamed eyes.
3. Another remedy is saline solution. To prepare it, dissolve a tablespoon of soda in a glass of warm water. Fill a pipette with the liquid and drip it into your eyes.
4. No less effective are herbal decoctions with medicinal properties. Take a spoonful of caraway and pour a glass of water over it. Boil over low heat and add ½ spoon of plantain leaves, cornflower petals and eyebright grass. The remedy should be infused until it cools, after which it should be carefully filtered so that no sediment remains. It is better to rinse with cotton swabs, carefully treating each eye.

Both eyes should be treated, even if the symptoms are unilateral. Also, two different cotton pads should be used to prevent the infection from spreading from one eye to the other.

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Preparation

Eye washing is a medical hygiene procedure and therefore requires careful preparation.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or treat them with an antiseptic. There should be no detergent left, since when irritants get on the corneal mucosa, the inflammatory process is significantly aggravated.
• Prepare a solution or boiled water at room temperature. Please note that too hot or cold liquids can aggravate the painful condition. It should be taken into account that if some chemical reagents get into the eyes, home treatment is not only useless, but also dangerous.
• To perform the procedure, you can use a large clean towel, cotton pads, a pipette, a cup or a small bowl. There are also pharmacy eye wash kits that contain a special cup and a sterile water solution.

The procedure should be performed for each eye, even if only one is damaged. If discomfort persists after irrigation, tears flow, the eyes itch or fester, then you should immediately seek medical help.

Plum eye wash kit

Today, there are ready-made eye wash kits. Plum is a first aid remedy for damage to the organs of vision by acids, alkalis or when foreign particles get into them.

Popular Plum sets:

1. Plum Eye Wash is a dustproof container with two bottles of liquid. It is a 0.9% sterile solution of sodium chloride, which corresponds to the normal environment of the eye. The product is effective when mechanical foreign bodies, dust, dirt, wood or metal shavings get in. Suitable for neutralizing some chemicals, such as machine oils or solvents. Recommended for regions with high dust levels and in industrial enterprises.
2. Plum with pH Neutral and Eye Wash is a dust-proof container with liquid for removing dirt and dust, neutralizing acids and alkalis. pH Neutral is a 4.9% sterile solution of phosphate salts. It is used to quickly neutralize highly concentrated alkalis and acids. The solution removes chemicals in less than 10 seconds without creating a hazard to the eyes. Designed for areas with a high risk of accidents associated with chemical exposure.

The first step of the treatment is to apply pH Neutral for two minutes, followed by Plum Eye Wash for 5 minutes. The kit includes a special container for wall mounting, as well as a pictogram and a mirror to simplify the procedure.

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Eye wash container

For comfortable eye rinsing, it is recommended to use special containers:

• Ekastu is a mini bottle with a volume of 175 ml
• Sekuroka is a 620 ml flushing container. It has a special valve that allows you to use the bottle in any convenient position.
• Eyecleaner – a device for eye baths made of soft plastic.

There are also devices designed for eye baths in hospital settings and devices for treating ophthalmological diseases using electrophoresis.

The advantage of the eye bath for irrigation is that it fits tightly to the skin of the eyelids, preventing leakage of the solution during the procedure. The container can be used repeatedly, as it is resistant to disinfection.

Using a rubber bulb to wash your eyes

A rubber bulb is another device that can be used to flush the eyes.

• It is better to use a medium-sized bulb for the procedure. Rinse it thoroughly, dip the tip of the pipette into the solution or water and squeeze the soft part to collect the liquid.
• Squeeze a few drops of the solution into your eye. To do this, tilt your head back and hold the bulb directly over your open eye. Make sure the dropper does not come into contact with the cornea or eyelashes.
• Blink well so that the solution is evenly distributed over the entire mucous membrane. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

This method is suitable for treating fatigue, but is not recommended for removing foreign particles or eliminating irritants.

Rules for washing eyes

Eyes are a very sensitive organ, exposed to aggressive environmental factors and various irritants. Its treatment should be carried out with special care.

First of all, determine whether you need emergency medical care. It is important to remember that some substances can cause chemical burns and other damage. If, in addition to visual impairment, nausea, vomiting, severe headaches, fever, or loss of consciousness occur, you should immediately consult a doctor.

The rinsing procedure must be carried out in compliance with special rules:

• Irrigation must be carried out under strict aseptic conditions, so you should wash your hands thoroughly and treat them with an antibacterial agent.
• Prepare the medicinal solution and container. You can use gauze/cotton pads, a rubber bulb, a pipette, a towel, a bowl or a syringe without a needle.
• Tilt your head back and pull down your lower eyelid. Wipe your eyes from the inner edge to the outer edge. If you do the procedure in the opposite direction, it can lead to the spread of infection throughout the cornea. Both eyes should be washed, even if only one is affected.

The duration of the procedure depends on the type of substances that need to be washed out. With mildly irritating components (soap, shampoo), rinsing should be done for 5 minutes. With moderately strong irritants - 20 minutes. If there was damage by caustic alkalis, then irrigation of the cornea should last at least 60 minutes. After the procedure, blink well and gently wipe the remaining liquid from the face, but do not rub your eyes.

Technique eye washes

Irrigation of the conjunctival sac with a stream of liquid has a special technique:

• Before the procedure, tilt your head back and open your eyes. If necessary, hold your lower eyelids with your fingers.
• Use freshly prepared solutions or purified water at room temperature.
• Carefully pour the liquid onto the cornea, but make sure that the pressure is not too strong.
• Close your eyes and blink. Wipe the edges of your eyelids with the solution.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of liquid for rinsing: drops, tablets or solutions, herbs. To remove foreign bodies, it is better to use boiled water. In case of irritation or inflammation, herbal decoctions or pharmacy medicinal solutions are excellent, since they have a balanced neutral pH level.

Contraindications to the procedure

Eye rinsing should be done with extreme caution, as there is a risk of injury to the eyeball, which can cause serious complications and even irreversible consequences.

Contraindications to rinsing include individual intolerance to the selected medicinal solution or the risk of developing allergic reactions. Alcohol-containing substances should be used with particular caution, as they can cause corneal burns.

Particular attention should be paid to the method of washing. If a foreign object gets on the cornea, eye baths and water treatment are recommended. In case of inflammatory processes, instillation and compresses with medicinal liquids are most effective. In this case, rubbing the eyes is prohibited, as this can further injure the mucous membrane. If washing does not eliminate the painful condition, then it is necessary to immediately contact an ophthalmologist.

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Consequences after the procedure

Cleaning the cornea with water and other washing solutions at home can lead to a number of unpleasant consequences. After the procedure, the following side effects may occur:

• Swelling and redness of the conjunctiva.
• Increased lacrimation.
• Painful sensation when blinking.
• Cutting and burning.
• Eyelid spasms.
• Swelling of the upper and lower eyelids.

The above reactions develop when using too hot or cold liquid, or when treating the eyes with a strong stream of water.

It is also possible to develop serious allergic reactions to the solution: runny nose, nasal congestion, skin rashes, asthma attacks and even anaphylactic shock. The development of the above consequences requires medical attention.

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Complications after the procedure

The risk of complications depends on the indications for eye washing and timely and correct pre-hospital care. Inappropriate or poor-quality therapy can cause the following problems:

• Decreased visual acuity.
• Purulent inflammation of the eyes.
• Inversion of the eyelid.
• Blockage of the lacrimal duct.
• Accumulation of pus in the skull.
• Loss of vision.
• Cicatricial lesions of the cornea.
• Dry eye syndrome.

Quite often, irrigation of the visual organs is carried out with conjunctivitis. This disease can also lead to complications due to its improper treatment. First of all, the inflammatory process affects visual acuity (farsightedness, nearsightedness), a defect in the curvature of the cornea, acquired strabismus, cataracts, glaucoma and other pathologies are possible.

To reduce the risk of complications, you should seek medical help. The doctor will determine the cause of the painful condition and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

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Care after the procedure

In order for eyeball rinsing to be effective, it is very important not only to choose the right effective irrigation agent, but also the method of its application. If water or medicinal infusions/decoctions are used for the procedure, the temperature regime should be observed so that the liquid does not injure the mucous membrane. When using medicinal preparations in the form of drops, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions for the drug, take into account all contraindications, the risk of developing side effects.

Post-procedure care deserves special attention:

• Immediately after rinsing, you must carefully blot any remaining liquid from your face with a towel or soft napkin.
• In order for the solution to be evenly distributed over the mucous membrane, you need to blink well.
• Eyes should not be rubbed. Excessive pressure on inflamed or injured mucous membranes will delay the recovery process and may cause a number of complications.
• Avoid going for walks and spend time at home to relax your eyes as much as possible.
• Observe personal hygiene rules and use personal items until you have fully recovered.

Eye washing is effective if prescribed by a doctor. In some diseases, such as bacterial ones, such local therapy is ineffective and can lead to complications. Timely medical attention and careful attitude to your health will help preserve the beauty and functionality of the visual organs.

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