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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Partly. A doctor can advise on a minor scratch and treat the pain by video; high-speed, sharp and chemical injuries, and an eye that is not improving after 24 hours, need an examination in person.
- What it is: a scratch on the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye, usually from grit, a fingernail, a branch or a contact lens.
- Symptoms: pain, watering, redness, a gritty feeling, blurred vision and sensitivity to light, usually soon after the injury.
- Healing: most minor scratches heal in 24 to 48 hours. Do not rub the eye, and leave contact lenses out until it has healed.
- Emergency: call 112 for a chemical in the eye, something that hit the eye at high speed or pierced it, a change in your sight, or severe pain.
Do not book a video appointment if a chemical has got into your eye, something sharp has pierced it, something has hit it at high speed, your sight has changed, or you have severe pain. Call 112 or go to an emergency department. For a chemical, rinse the eye with clean water that is not hot, and keep rinsing while you wait.
Can an online doctor treat a scratched eye?
Partly. A scratch on the cornea is confirmed with a yellow dye (fluorescein) at a slit-lamp examination, which also finds anything still stuck in the eye, so a deep, large or contaminated scratch, or one that is not improving, is examined in person. A doctor by video can check for the warning signs, help after grit or dust has been rinsed out, treat the pain, advise on contact lenses, and tell you how soon you need an eye examination.
How an online consultation helps with a scratched eye
- Serious injury ruled out: High-speed particles, sharp objects and chemicals need emergency care, and the doctor tells you where to go.
- Grit and dust: How to rinse the eye safely, and what to do if it still feels as if something is there.
- Pain eased: Pain relief and lubricants that help while the surface heals, and the drops to avoid.
- Contact lenses: Why lenses stay out until the eye has healed, and why a painful red eye in a lens wearer needs an examination.
What the doctor checks in an online scratched eye consultation
The doctor asks about the warning signs first, then about the injury and your eye. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: a chemical, something sharp or fast-moving, a change in your sight, severe pain, a headache or feeling sick, or an eye you cannot open or move.
- How it happened: what went into the eye and when, and whether you were using a power tool, working with metal or wood, or gardening.
- Your symptoms: pain, watering, sensitivity to light, blurring, and whether it still feels as if something is in the eye.
- Your vision: whether you can read small print with each eye in turn, covering the other.
- Contact lenses: whether you were wearing them, and for how long.
- Your eye history: earlier scratches, eye conditions, and the drops and medicines you use.
Before the call, rinse the eye if something is in it, and have someone ready to hold the camera close to the eye in good light.
What does a scratched eye feel like?
Painful. The cornea is very sensitive, so even a small scratch hurts. The usual symptoms are:
- pain
- a gritty feeling, or a feeling that something is still in the eye
- watering and redness
- blurred vision
- sensitivity to light, and difficulty keeping the eye open
- a headache
What does a scratched eye look like?
The eye usually looks red and watery. The scratch itself shows clearly with a yellow dye (fluorescein): yellow in normal light and green under a blue light, which is how it is confirmed at an eye examination.
Why does it feel like something is in my eye?
A scratch on the cornea feels like grit, even after the grit has gone. A tiny particle can also stay trapped under the upper lid, which is why the lid is turned over at an eye examination. Conjunctivitis and dry eyes cause a gritty feeling too, usually without an injury.
Can a corneal abrasion cause nausea?
Pain can make you feel unwell, but feeling sick or being sick after an eye injury is a warning sign: call 112 or go to an emergency department.
What causes a scratched eye?
Usually a small injury. The common causes are:
- grit, dust or sand blown into the eye
- a fingernail or a tree branch
- contact lenses
- rubbing the eye hard
- particles of metal or wood from power tools, such as grinders, chainsaws and strimmers
- an old scratch that did not heal properly and breaks down again
Sometimes there is no obvious cause. Corneal abrasions make up about 8% of eye problems seen by family doctors, and are the third most common cause of a red eye, after conjunctivitis and a burst blood vessel.
Something in your eye: what to do
Rinse it out with clean water. If something is in your eye:
- Wash your hands, and take out contact lenses if you wear them.
- Rinse the eye with clean water that is not hot: hold the eye open and let plenty of water run gently over it.
- Pull the upper lid down over the lower lid, to help sweep a particle out.
- Wipe a particle from the inner corner of the eye with a clean, wet, soft cloth.
- Do not rub the eye, and never try to remove anything stuck to the eye or that has pierced it.
If it still feels as if something is there after rinsing, a particle may be stuck on the cornea or under the upper lid, or the cornea may be scratched. An optician, an eye clinic or an emergency department can remove it safely. Particles that hit the eye at speed, such as from a grinder, need emergency care because they can go into the eye, and metal particles can leave a rust ring.
A chemical in the eye
Rinse the eye straight away with clean water that is not hot, holding it open, for at least 20 minutes. Call 112, keep rinsing while you wait, and take the container with you. How soon the eye is rinsed has a major effect on how well it recovers.
How long does a scratched eye take to heal?
Most minor scratches heal in 24 to 48 hours. The eye should be clearly better within a day: an eye injury that is not getting better after 24 hours needs an examination, and a scratch that has not healed after 3 to 4 days needs an eye specialist.
What is the fastest way to heal a scratched eye?
Let it heal on its own: most minor scratches are healed by the next day or the day after. What helps is resting the eye, not rubbing it, leaving contact lenses out, using lubricating drops and taking pain relief. Do not patch the eye: patching does not ease the pain and can slow healing.
Can a scratched eye heal on its own?
Yes, most minor scratches heal on their own, because the surface of the cornea repairs itself quickly. A deep scratch, one with something still in it, or one in a contact lens wearer needs an examination.
How long does blurry vision last with a corneal abrasion?
Blurring from a scratch usually clears as it heals, within 1 to 2 days. Vision that is clearly reduced, or getting worse, after an eye injury needs emergency care: call 112.
When the pain comes back: recurrent erosion
Some people get pain again after a scratch seemed to heal, usually waking with a painful eye, because the surface did not heal firmly where it was scratched. Lubricating drops or ointment at night help prevent it, and an episode that lasts more than 24 hours needs an eye specialist.
Scratched eye or something else?
A painful, gritty, red eye has other causes too. These patterns help tell them apart:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Condition | What points to it | Online care |
|---|---|---|
| Scratched eye | Pain, watering and sensitivity to light after something went into the eye or caught it | Partly online |
| Something still in the eye | A gritty feeling that does not settle after rinsing | In person, to remove it |
| Penetrating or high-speed injury | Something sharp or fast-moving hit the eye, then pain or changed vision | Emergency: call 112 |
| Chemical injury | Pain and redness after a splash | Emergency: call 112 |
| Keratitis | A painful red eye, sensitivity to light and blurred vision, often in a contact lens wearer, without an injury | Assessed online |
| Snow blindness | Painful eyes that start well after strong sun on snow, water or sand, or welding without protection | Treated online |
| Conjunctivitis | A gritty or burning feeling and sticky eyes, without an injury | Treated online |
| Burst blood vessel | A bright red area on the white of the eye | Handled online |
The red eye page covers the other causes of a red eye and their warning signs.
Black eye: what to do and when it is an emergency
A black eye is bruising around the eye after a blow, and it usually gets better within 2 to 3 weeks. Hold an ice pack wrapped in a cloth to the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time during the first 1 to 2 days, then use a warm, not hot, compress. Paracetamol or ibuprofen help with the pain; avoid aspirin unless a doctor prescribes it, because it can make bruising worse.
Get emergency care for blood in the eye, a pupil with an irregular shape, double vision or loss of vision, an eye you cannot move, or bruising around both eyes, loss of consciousness or vomiting after a blow to the head.
Which scratched eye treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment follows how the eye was injured and how it is healing. This is the framework the doctors use:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grit or dust, rinsed out, and the eye settling | Lubricating drops, rest and no rubbing | Yes | If it is not getting better after 24 hours |
| A minor scratch from a fingernail or grit, with normal vision | Pain relief and lubricants; antibiotic ointment if the doctor advises it | Yes | If it is not getting better after 24 hours, or gets worse |
| Still feels as if something is in the eye after rinsing | Removal by an optician or eye clinic | No, beyond advice | Promptly, in person |
| A scratch from a plant or a tree branch with something left in the eye | An eye examination | No, beyond advice | Urgently, in person |
| A painful red eye in a contact lens wearer | Lenses out, and an eye examination | No, beyond advice | Promptly, in person |
| Pain on waking in an eye that was scratched before | Lubricating ointment at night | Partly | If an episode lasts more than 24 hours |
| A chemical, a high-speed or sharp injury, or changed vision | Emergency care; rinse a chemical with water | No | Call 112 now |
Still feel something in your eye after rinsing? A doctor can tell you in one consultation where to go.
See available times →Treatment options for a scratched eye
What you can do yourself
- Rinse the eye with clean water if anything is in it.
- Do not rub the eye.
- Leave contact lenses out until the eye has healed and any treatment has finished, and throw away the lenses you were wearing.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for the pain, and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
- Use lubricating drops or ointment for comfort.
- Do not drive while your vision is blurred or the eye is hard to keep open.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. Many minor scratches need only pain relief and lubricants, because the risk of infection after a minor injury is low. The doctor may prescribe an antibiotic eye ointment or drops for a larger scratch or when the risk of infection is higher. A contact lens wearer needs an antibiotic that covers the bacteria linked to lenses, and an eye examination. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
An eye patch: it does not ease the pain and can slow healing. Anaesthetic drops to use at home, which damage the surface of the eye, slow healing and hide an eye that is getting worse. Drops that contain a steroid, which raise the risk of infection and may slow healing. Rubbing the eye, or trying to remove something stuck in it yourself.
Special situations
Contact lens wearers
A painful red eye in a lens wearer can be an infection of the cornea rather than a scratch, so it needs an eye examination promptly. Take your lenses out, do not wear lenses again until the eye has healed, and use new ones when you restart.
Work, DIY and sport: protecting your eyes
Wear safety glasses or goggles when using power tools such as grinders, chainsaws and strimmers, and when working with metal, wood, machinery or chemicals. Polycarbonate lenses protect well against flying particles, welders need eye protection that filters UV light, and contact sports call for eye protection too.
Driving
Do not drive while your vision is blurred or the eye is hard to keep open, because your vision and judgement of distance may be affected.
Eye injuries while travelling in Europe
Sand blown into the eye on the beach and strong sun on snow can both cause painful eyes on holiday. Rinse with clean water if something gets in, keep lubricating drops in your bag, and call 112 for a chemical, a high-speed or sharp injury, or a change in your sight, anywhere in Europe.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When a scratched eye is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: minor scratches and grit that has been rinsed out and is settling, pain relief and lubricants, contact lens advice, and deciding how urgently the eye needs examining.
In-person care: anything still stuck in the eye, high-speed, sharp or metal injuries, chemicals, a scratch from a plant with something left in the eye, a painful red eye in a contact lens wearer, changed vision, and an eye that is not better after 24 hours.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- a chemical in the eye, such as oven cleaner or bleach: rinse it with clean water while you wait
- something sharp that has pierced the eye, or something that hit it at high speed
- any change in your sight after an eye injury
- severe pain in the eye
- a headache, sensitivity to light, or feeling or being sick after an eye injury
- an eye you cannot move or keep open, or blood or pus coming from it
- blood in the eye, or a pupil with an irregular shape, after a blow
Get medical advice the same day for:
- an eye injury that is not getting better after 24 hours
- a feeling that something is still in the eye after rinsing
- a red, painful eye if you wear contact lenses
- a black eye with a headache that does not go away, or blurry vision
- pain that comes back after the eye seemed to have healed
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your eyes: say what went into the eye and when, whether you wear contact lenses, and whether your vision has changed, and show the eye on camera in good light.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s a scratched eye? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Keratitis can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about a scratched eye
How long does a scratched eye take to heal?
Most minor scratches on the cornea heal in 24 to 48 hours. An eye injury that is not getting better after 24 hours needs an examination, and a scratch that has not healed after 3 to 4 days needs an eye specialist.
What is the fastest way to heal a scratched eye at home?
Let it heal on its own, which most minor scratches do within 1 to 2 days. Rest the eye, do not rub it, leave contact lenses out, and use lubricating drops and pain relief. Do not patch it, because patching can slow healing.
What does a scratched eye feel like?
A scratched eye is painful, with watering, redness, a gritty feeling or a feeling that something is still in the eye, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and difficulty keeping the eye open.
Why does it feel like something is in my eye?
A scratch on the cornea feels like grit even after the grit has gone, or a tiny particle may still be trapped under the upper lid. If the feeling does not settle after rinsing, have the eye examined.
Can a scratched eye heal on its own?
Yes. Most minor scratches heal on their own within 1 to 2 days. A deep scratch, one with something still in it, or one in a contact lens wearer needs an examination.
How do I get something out of my eye?
Rinse the eye with clean water that is not hot, holding it open, so the grit does not scratch the eye. Pulling the upper lid over the lower lid can help, and a particle in the corner can be wiped out with a clean, wet cloth. Do not rub the eye or remove anything stuck to it.
What should I do if a chemical gets in my eye?
A chemical burns rather than scratches the eye: rinse the eye straight away with clean water that is not hot for at least 20 minutes, holding it open. Call 112, keep rinsing while you wait, and take the container with you.
Should I wear an eye patch for a scratched eye?
No. Patching does not ease the pain of a corneal abrasion and can slow healing, because the cornea heals faster when it is lubricated by blinking and the patch raises the risk of infection; it also removes depth perception. Rest the eye, wear sunglasses if light hurts, use the lubricating or antibiotic drops the doctor advises, and do not rub it. A scratched eye from a contact lens is never patched.
Can I wear contact lenses with a scratched eye?
No. Leave lenses out until the scratched eye has healed and any treatment has finished, throw away the lenses you were wearing, and see someone promptly if a lens wearer's eye is red and painful.
When is a scratched eye an emergency?
A scratched eye is an emergency, so call 112, for a chemical in the eye, something sharp or fast-moving that hit it, any change in your sight, severe pain, feeling sick after the injury, or an eye you cannot open or move.
How can I prevent corneal abrasions?
To prevent a scratched eye, wear safety glasses or goggles with power tools and when working with metal, wood or chemicals, protect your eyes in contact sports, and handle contact lenses with care.
Can an online doctor treat a scratched eye?
Partly. A doctor by video can check for warning signs, help after grit has been rinsed out and treat the pain. A scratch that is deep, contaminated or not improving needs an eye examination in person.
- Evaluation and management of corneal abrasions, Wipperman JL, Dorsch JN. American Family Physician, 2013.
- Eye injuries, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 March 2026.
- Black eye, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 27 July 2023.
- Eyecare guidelines 5.3: abrasion, corneal, NHS Scotland, Eye Health, reviewed 29 April 2026.
- Eyecare guidelines 5.4: foreign body, corneal, NHS Scotland, Eye Health, reviewed 19 December 2025.
- Eyecare guidelines 3.1: chemical injury, conjunctival, NHS Scotland, Eye Health, reviewed 7 September 2026.
- Corneal abrasion: patient information, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, GHPI0184_11_24, review due November 2027.
- Corneal abrasion, Sirona care and health, Minor Injury Unit leaflet, updated June 2026.
- Red eye, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 27 October 2025.
- Dry eyes, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 6 January 2025.
- What is photokeratitis, including snow blindness?, American Academy of Ophthalmology, 16 May 2023.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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