Foreign Body in the Eye

What is a foreign body in the eye?

A foreign body in the eye can be anything – a speck of dust, a metal shaving, glass, or a fragment of a plant. If it is on the surface, it is usually not dangerous. But when it penetrates deeper, it can affect important parts of the eye – such as the iris, the lens, and sometimes even the retina (the innermost layer of the eye – it captures light and converts it into a signal that the brain recognizes as an image).

What are the symptoms?

If you have a foreign body in your eye, you may feel:

• pain or irritation
• tearing
• redness
• sensitivity to light
• a feeling of ‘grit’ in the eye
• difficulty opening the eyelid

Such foreign bodies often cause superficial injuries – scratches on the cornea. This is treated with antibiotic drops and sometimes with a soft contact lens for protection.Important: If fluid or blood is coming from the eye, or if you suddenly lose your vision – seek an ophthalmologist immediately! There may be a penetrating injury.

How is the diagnosis made?

During the examination, you will receive anesthetic drops. The doctor will check for a foreign body and use a special dye (fluorescein) that helps reveal small injuries. The pupils will be dilated with drops to examine the internal parts of the eye. If there is bleeding, an ultrasound of the eye may also be necessary.

How is a foreign body removed from inside the eye?

When the foreign body has penetrated deeply, surgery is required. This includes:

• sewing the cornea or conjunctiva
• retinal surgery (vitrectomy)
• potentially removing traumatic cataract, if present

At PentaGram Clinic, we perform minimally invasive vitrectomy through 1 mm openings. Using special tools – forceps or magnets – the foreign body is removed. Sometimes a slight enlargement of the opening is necessary to safely extract the object. Treatment with drops starts afterward, and for deep injuries, intravenous antibiotics are administered.

What is the recovery?

Such injuries can lead to:

• corneal clouding – treatable with transplantation
• cataract – removed with surgery
• retinal detachment – requires vitrectomy

The final outcome depends on both the severity of the injury and the speed of the treatment.

Why choose PentaGram Eye Hospital?

We can respond quickly – we organize surgery within 24 hours after the trauma.

We have experience in:

• treatment of corneal and iris injuries
• surgeries for traumatic cataracts
• removal of foreign bodies from the eye
• retina restoration

We work with local anesthesia and the presence of an anesthesiologist who monitors your condition during the procedure.
After the surgery, the patient remains in the hospital for observation, intravenous treatment, and a quick response in case additional intervention is needed.

 Synonyms: Something in the eye, Metal chip in the eye, Corneal injury, Eye contamination