EYE INJURY
► Signs: excessive tears, redness, squinting, repeated shaking of the head, cloudiness or swelling of the cornea or eyelids
► Causes: a foreign object, such as a splinter, in the eye or tear in the surface. Uveitis, swelling of the colored portion of the iris, and conjunctivitis, swelling of the membranes around the eye, can produce the same acute signs as an injury.
► Treatment: Some eye injuries require surgery. Others may heal with antibiotic ointment alone, but hourly, round-theclock administration may be necessary.
► Prognosis: from full recovery to permanent loss of vision and even the eye itself, depending on the severity of the injury, the level of contamination and how quickly treatment begins