How to safely remove something from your eye

The most important thing to remember if you have something in your eye is that you should never rub it. Rubbing your eye when there’s a foreign object in it puts you at risk of corneal abrasion.

How to Get Something Out of Your Eye

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In this article

What Happens if You Get Something Stuck in Your Eye?

One of the most uncomfortable sensations you can experience is having something stuck in your eye. Usually, it’s a little more than a nuisance. However, it can be painful, and if you cannot remove the object in your eye, damage can occur.

In many cases, your eye will water from the irritation caused by the foreign object. This usually washes away whatever it is. Unless you have a problem with tears or lubrication, your eyes are designed to wash away foreign matter and deal with occasional debris.

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When you get a small object in your eye – an eyelash, a piece of fuzz, or something comparable – you’ll be able to remove it without medical attention.

As long as you can see the object when you look in the mirror and get a grip on it, you can pull it from your eye. Just make sure you wash your hands before you begin touching your eye and the area around your eyes.

The most important thing to remember if you have something in your eye is that you should never rub it. Rubbing your eye when there’s a foreign object in it puts you at risk of corneal abrasion.

It’s also important never to use a cotton swab or tweezers to remove an object. This might seem like a good way to capture an object you can’t grip with your fingers. However, putting these objects near your eyes is dangerous.

Dangers of Getting Something Stuck in Your Eye

Getting something stuck in your eye usually isn’t dangerous, but it can be. Foreign objects and debris in your eyes put you at risk of:

• Infection. If something remains in your eye long enough, it can lead to an infection. Over time, this affects your vision.
• Corneal scratches and abrasions. Any foreign object in the eye can scratch the cornea. This is especially a risk if you rub your eye when there’s something in it. Most corneal abrasions heal within a few days, but they can cause long-term complications.
• Ulcers. If a scratched cornea doesn’t heal, the wound can develop an ulcer. Over time, an ulcer interferes with your vision and can lead to an abscess.
• Penetration of the eye. If something enters your eye with force, it can penetrate the eyeball. This puts you at risk of injury and blindness.

How to Remove Chemicals or Irritants From Your Eyes

If your eyes are exposed to chemicals or irritants, you’ll need to flush your eyes with water immediately. Most of the time, this happens when household cleaners or industrial chemicals splash into your eye.

If this happens, you’ll need to rinse your eyes with clean water or saline water for at least 15 minutes. Many people have eyewash stations at work if they are working around chemicals or dangerous liquids. It’s also important to wear protective eyewear if you’re working with strong liquids or chemicals.

To rinse your eye after exposure, hold your eye open and allow the water or solution to rinse the eye thoroughly.

Depending on the chemical and your success with flushing your eye after exposure, you’ll want to follow up with a visit to your doctor. A professional can determine if any serious harm occurred.

If you wear contact lenses and get chemicals in your eyes, make sure you remove the contact lens from the affected eye and rinse it for at least 15 minutes.

How to Get a Foreign Object Out of Your Eye

The first thing to do if you get a foreign object in your eye is to let nature run its course. Most people’s eyes water when there’s a foreign object causing irritation. Sometimes this is enough to flush out the foreign object.

If this doesn’t work, try flushing it out with clean water or a sterile saline solution. You might need to do this for several minutes to remove the object.

If the foreign body remains in your eye or you feel irritation once it’s removed, contact your eye doctor or visit the ER for an exam.

How to Remove Debris Stuck Under Your Upper Eyelid

If the debris in your eye isn’t visible, but you can feel it irritating your eye, there’s a chance it’s slipped under your upper eyelid.

To remove it, you’ll need to pull your upper eyelid down and then release it. The object might come out as your upper lid slides back into place. Holding your eye open and pulling the upper lid outward as you flush it with water or saline solution might also work it loose.

How to Remove Debris Stuck Under Your Lower Eyelid

If you get something stuck under your lower eyelid, you’ll need to press on the skin as you pull your eyelid out. Make sure you can see the pink on the underside of your lid.

If you see the object, gently wipe it away with a wet cotton ball, being careful not to touch your eyeball.

Again, if this doesn’t work, try flushing it with a gentle stream of water as you hold your eyelid away from your eye.

When Should You Flush Your Eye?

Flushing your eye is always an option if you have something stuck in it. If your eyes are exposed to chemical irritants, you’ll want to flush your eye immediately.

Flushing with water or saline solution is also helpful if you can’t get small debris out of your eye or if you have more than one speck of debris in your eye.

When to See a Doctor

In some cases, you’ll need to visit your doctor if there’s something in your eye. Seek medical attention if:

• Your eyes are exposed to harsh chemicals
• An object pokes a hole in your eye
• An object pierces your eye and gets stuck
• You’ve tried flushing your eyes with water and the foreign debris remains
• Your eye still feels irritated a few days after removing foreign debris
• Your eye bleeds as a result of irritation from a foreign object or chemical
• You can’t close your eye
• You experience vision changes
• Your eye feels worse after you’ve removed debris

Your eye doctor will examine your eye for scratches or other damage. They might also give you medication to prevent or treat an infection. If an object pierces your eye, you’ll need to undergo special testing to evaluate the damage.

You should visit the emergency room immediately if your eye is punctured or pierced.

How to safely remove something from your eye

Getting debris in your eye is an unpleasant, uncomfortable experience, albeit a common one. Most people will go through this at some point in their lives — if this happens to you, you’ll want to know how to get that foreign body out of your eye as quickly and safely as possible.

Learning more about the right tools to have on hand, as well as some recommended techniques (eye movement, flushing out the eye with saline drops, etc.), will go a long way toward helping you remove foreign objects and regain a sense of comfort.

How to get something out of your eye: Useful tools

There are a few basic techniques to keep in mind when you are trying to get something out of your eye, whether that object is visible or invisible. But first, you’ll want to have some household items and commercial products (such as eye drops) ready. These will make up your toolkit and help speed up the process of removing particles from your eye.

Get your toolkit ready

It may sound challenging to prepare yourself when you’re under stress and experiencing discomfort, but having some (or all) of these tools on hand can help you remove an object from your eye:

• Clean, dry hands (use soap and water and ensure that you dry your hands with a fluff-free cloth to avoid getting more foreign objects in your eye).
• A cotton swab moistened with saline solution or eye drops (a clean, fluff-free, moistened cloth is also acceptable).
• A mirror.
• Bright lighting (preferably natural light if you need help during the day).
• An eye wash cup.
• Saline solution or eye drops.
• A friend (if one is available) to assist you.

Any one of these can help you get rid of that pesky debris in your eye, but having someone assist you can certainly make things a bit less difficult.

How to remove a visible object from your your eye

It is easier to remove something from your eye if you can see it. Start by standing in front of a mirror in a brightly lit area. Gently use your thumb and forefinger to open the affected eye slightly.

Place your forefinger on your brow line and your thumb just beneath your lower eyelid to stretch your eye open a bit. This will give you a better look at your eye, helping you to identify whether the debris is on your cornea (the clear front surface of the eyeball, located in front of the iris and pupil) or the sclera. The sclera is the white part of the eye.

The idea is to be able to see the particle on your eye so that you can remove it. Once you see it, take the swab and gently touch it to the object for removal.

Many people are extremely sensitive about anything being near their eyes, though, and may close their eyes instinctively when trying this method. In cases like this, it may be best to call a friend for help.

Another option is to use eye drops or saline solution to drip into the open eye. Adding moisture helps to make your eyes water more. Producing tears may create enough liquid to blink the object out of your eye naturally.

Use one or more of these methods to remove a visible object on the surface of your eye. Most of these methods can also be helpful in removing things you can’t see on the eye’s surface.

How to get something out of your upper eyelid

When something is stuck under your upper eyelid, gently stretch the upper eyelid over the lower lid, then rotate your eyes to try and dislodge the debris. You can also move your eyes sideways if rotating them doesn’t work.

Your eye movements will help move the object to a visible place on your eye. Once you see what’s irritating your eye, you can follow any of the above-mentioned methods to remove it.

Eye wash cups, which you can find at most drugstores, are also a handy way to rinse items out of the eyes. Place the indicated end of the cup over the entire eye. Ensure that you are reasonably comfortable filling the cup with an eye-safe solution or eye drops before rinsing out any foreign items.

If you don’t already have an eye wash cup, be sure to add it to your shopping list so you’ll have one ready if you need it in the future.

How to remove an object stuck under the lower eyelid

Getting rid of debris hiding under the lower eyelid involves similar actions as the methods above.

You’ll want to start by placing your finger on the skin below your lower eyelid and (cautiously) stretching downward. Then, look downward while rapidly releasing the lower eyelid from its stretched position. Repeat this until you can eject the foreign matter.

If you don’t get the desired results with this, you can try the other listed techniques, including:

• Using eye drops to rinse your eye.
• Flushing your eyes with an eye wash cup.

Need to know how to get something out of the corner of your eye? You can try any of these methods for that scenario too. Just keep in mind that it is essential to move your eyes and blink while rinsing with saline solution or eye drops.

The “don’ts” of how to get something stuck out of your eye

Your eyesight is one of your most critical senses when moving around in the world. If your vision is blurred or damaged, life can become more challenging. Therefore, it’s important to always protect your eyes and your vision — even if you’re just removing a very tiny object from your eye.

When it comes to getting debris out of your eye, there are definitely some things you should never do, as they can cause damage or lead to infection.

• Do not use tap water to rinse your eyes.
• Don’t use your finger to remove an object from your eye.
• Avoid bringing your hands to your face unless you have disinfected them.
• Do not rub your eyes, as this can potentially lead to a corneal abrasion (scratched eye).
• Don’t panic. Try to get to a state of calm, where you will be comfortable resolving the situation.
• Do not drive if your vision is too severely impaired.

Always exercise caution and always wash your hands first when you need to remove something from your eye. This will help you to avoid unpleasant infections, including conjunctivitis (pink eye), styes and keratitis.

Of course, eye infections can develop regardless of the state of your hands, but there is still a higher risk when your hands are dirty — make hand-washing a priority to safeguard your vision.

When to seek medical assistance

If none of your efforts to remove debris from your eye work out, it’s time to consult an expert. Medical assistance is advisable when:

• You feel uncomfortable and suspect that the object is still in your eye.
• Redness in the eye doesn’t seem to be improving after several hours.
• Your eye feels like it has tears or scratches on the surface that don’t seem to be improving.
• Eye inflammation develops.
• Your vision is negatively impacted.

While it’s common for the eye to remain red for some time after removing a foreign object, it is not normal for the redness to stay longer than a few hours. If it does, visit an eye doctor who can examine you and offer some relief.

Similarly, if you’re experiencing pain after a few hours (or if the pain is getting worse), a medical doctor or optometrist can help.

Notes and References

Page published on Wednesday, March 3, 2021