This may sound really stupid, but ICYMI, it happens. Surprisingly, there are a lot of reported cases related to super glue eye injury. One of the most common roots of the problem is the similarity with the container of super glue and eye drops. Hence, a lot of people mix up the two and unfortunately have to face the wrath of pouring super glue into their eye. Sucks, right? A lot of people also use super glue to fix eyeglasses frame, and when they wear it too soon, the fumes go to their eyes.
My experience, however, is different. See, I have been keeping a container of nail glue which I used once for my fake nails. I figured I could use it for other things too because it sticks things pretty neatly. One day, I needed a temporary fix for my shoe and thought nail glue could do the job, at least for a while. As many of you are aware, a used super glue or nail glue hardens which makes it difficult to remove the cap. So, I was using force trying to open it and then bam, the next thing I knew, a splash of nail glue was flying from the container right into my eye.
Of all the things it could have landed, it went straight to my eye. There's freaking super glue in my eye! I was going to be blind, I thought. This is the stupidest thing to ever happen in my life. I was pretty panicky but my mind was set to the fact that I needed to get as much glue as I could from my eyeball. While this is painfully scary, thankfully, I didn't go blind and could clearly see now. In fact, upon researching, I found out that in cases like this, no permanent eye damage has ever been recorded, even those people who mistook super glue for their eye drops.
How to remove super glue from the eye
In case of super glue eye contact, these are the steps to be taken as first aid while you do not have access yet to a hospital.
1. Rinse eye with water immediately
Of course, this is the first thing that would come to anyone's mind. When I realized the glue went into my eye, I quickly ran to the sink and rinse my eye with water as much as I could. If you have warm water sitting at home, that would definitely work better, especially if the super glue sticks to your eyelashes.
Important: Do not ever try to use acetone or any toxic material that removes glue. It is not safe for the eye and will just make the situation much worse.
2. Use eye drop
My eye was pretty red and felt major discomfort after being aggressively scratched. I didn't rush to the ER because I had important stuff to do at work and well, I hate hospitals. So, I ran to the nearest drugstore and got an eye drop intended for eye redness. I put two drops into my eye and it felt prickly. The redness subsided but I was still uncomfortable. Three hours later, I used eye drops again. That night, I found out that the eye drop I bought is not to be used for eye with corneal abrasion (which I think I had), so I stopped using it and just endured the pain.
This is why I recommend that you only use saline solution or eye drops that are intended for cleansing or those that are safe to be used for corneal abrasion.
3. Cover eye with eye patch or gauze
To avoid infection, it is recommended to cover affected eye with eye patch or gauze. It actually also reduces the pain and discomfort.
4. Sleep on it
That night, I was exhausted and sleepy. I felt my eye starting to swell and I was worried that I might wake up with an eye infection. Still, my stubborn self decided to sleep on it and thought I'd just visit a doctor if my eye got worse. Fortunately, when I woke up, my eye looked and felt normal. The discomfort was gone. The redness was gone. The swelling was gone. All is well!
Disclaimer: This is based solely on my experience. I highly recommend that if something similar happens to you, just go to the nearest ER and seek genuine medical help. You may use this post as a guide for super glue in the eye first aid but going to the hospital is always the best choice, especially if the situation is even worse than mine.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below. :)
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