scratched eye

hey

my 24 month old son has scratched his right cornea. I think he was just rubbing his eye for whatever reason and caught his cornea with his fingernail and it has a small scratch infront of the pupil. i bathed it with saline and kept it clean but he has been really upset by it all day and keeps rubbing it. Will he be ok after a long nights sleep, letting it rest? When will it get better and what else should i be doing to make him more comfortable?
Thank you.

[Sandy Feldman, MD, MS]

Dear icu26,

I would recommend that you seek the care of an eyeMD to determine whether your son indeed has a scratched cornea. Often, symptoms will improve with eye patching overnight. A topical antibiotic needs to be given.  A visit to the eyeMD is warranted as the cause is really unknown and you should make sure there is not a foreign body.

Dr. Feldman

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