corneal erosion

Today I was diagnosed with corneal erosion subsequent to an injury sustained last night when I had a bush branch go directly into the eye. I was given a patch to wear for at least 24 hours, but could not keep my other eye open while wearing it. The frustration led me to take the patch off after about three hours. It seems as though my eye musculature was too weak to keep the eye open efficiently. What should I do? I am concerned about this condition not healing properly, and potentially becoming chronic. Are there other ways I can keep the eyelid from being abrasive against the corneal tissue? Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you----Dr. J

[Sandy Feldman, MD, MS]

Dear drjay06,

Take one step at a time.  The corneal abrasion must first heal before it can become recurrent.  Not all injuries end up becoming recurrent.  Continue to see your eyeMD to determine that the eye has properly healed.

Dr. Feldman

Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S.
ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
San Diego, California