Boxing Injury

I was sparring yesterday and the opponent got a very nice punch in at my eye, lucky (or unlucky) around half a second before the bell (well instructor shouting ding ding ding). At the time there was no mark or anything, so I wasn't to bothered, then when I was speaking to the instructor just as he was leaving I started to see two of him (sort of like what happens if you just put your finger at the top of your eye and gently push down, making the vision move a little). When I got home I put ice on it, and it swelled a tiny bit with a bit of a mark, but the majority of the pain and punch hit eye itself not the area around the eye. The main pain is at the top right corner of the left eye.

Its been hurting all day, whether i close it, open it, move it or keep it still.

Any suggestions about what to do, or reckon it might just pass a bit.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Treat this as an emergency. Get on the phone to an ophthalmologist on call and get set up to go in tomorrow for a complete Eye MD exam. There are many possible serious injuries from this type of boxing blow: retinal detachment, hyphema, vitreous hemorrhate, traumatic iritis, etc.

Consider a safer sport, think about all the punch drunk boxers

JCH MD