“I Couldn’t Even Open My Eye”: One Patient’s Story of a Corneal Abrasion
“I Couldn’t Even Open My Eye”: One Patient’s Story of a Corneal Abrasion
What started as an ordinary workday quickly turned into a painful and frankly scary experience for 20-something Isabel.
“Basically, I touched my eye after handling something at work and unbeknownst to me there were chemicals on my gloves,” she shared about her experience. “And unfortunately, I wasn’t wearing contacts so it went straight into my eye.”
As she rushed to try and relieve the irritation, much to her dismay she found it only made things worse.
“I grabbed a paper towel as my eye was bothering me, but the paper towel was rough and in my haste I accidentally scraped my entire eyeball with it,” she explained. “So it just kept getting more and more irritated.”
Soon, her eye began watering uncontrollably, and the pain intensified enough that she had to leave work early.
At first, Isabel wasn’t sure how serious the injury was, so she called a nurse advice line for guidance. After hearing her symptoms, they urged her to go to the emergency room immediately.
She went to the closest ER downtown, where she was treated by our very own Dr. John Fitzpatrick.
“What I remember is everyone was so nice,” Isabel said. “Dr. Fitzpatrick was really kind and even cracked jokes to help calm me down.”
At the ER, Dr. Fitzpatrick examined her eye and flushed it thoroughly using a Morgan lens, which is a specialized device used to continuously rinse the eye after injuries or chemical exposure.
“They gave me numbing drops first, and then there was water shooting into my eye to rinse everything out,” she said. “It was uncomfortable, but it really did help.”
She was also prescribed antibiotic ointment and drops to help prevent infection and support healing.
The injury turned out to be a corneal abrasion, a scratch on the surface of the eye that can cause significant pain, redness, tearing, light sensitivity, and blurred vision.
“It was scary because I couldn’t open my eye,” she said. “I couldn’t drive. I couldn’t work. For the first two days, I could barely even keep it open.”
The ER provided a work note for five days while she recovered.
As her eye slowly began healing, Isabel also noticed a line across her vision that worried her, but she was reassured that the cornea heals remarkably fast in many cases with prompt treatment and close monitoring.
She followed up with Austin Retina Associates’ Dr. Marco Ji for two additional appointments to ensure her healing process was on track.
“He examined my eye with a light and magnifier and had me look in different directions,” she said. “Everyone there, including Dr. Ji, was incredibly nice. I would recommend them to anyone.”
By the time of her final follow-up appointment, her eye had healed well, and she was able to return to work.
Looking back, Isabel says one of the biggest lessons she learned was to not wait when something feels wrong with your eye.
“It kept getting more and more red and painful,” she said. “I’m really glad I went in when I did because it could have gotten worse.”
She now encourages others to seek medical attention quickly if they experience sudden eye pain, irritation, or vision changes after an injury or chemical exposure.
“Eyes heal fast,” she said, “but you still want to get checked out as soon as you can.”
For Isabel, quick treatment and follow-up care made all the difference in her recovery. Her experience serves as an important reminder that sudden eye pain, irritation, blurred vision, or vision changes should never be ignored, especially after an injury or chemical exposure.
Eyecare at Austin Retina Associates
At Austin Retina Associates, our physicians are equipped to diagnose and treat a wide range of urgent and complex eye conditions, from traumatic eye injuries to retinal tears, retinal detachments, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Whether symptoms develop suddenly or gradually over time, the team is prepared to provide prompt, specialized retinal care when patients need it most.
Call Austin Retina Associates at 800-252-8259 to discuss symptoms or request an appointment at one of our locations throughout Central Texas.
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Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
