Anyone who has ever suffered from a bum eye knows how difficult it can be to deal with. Here are a few ways to cope with the most common eye injuries.

The most important part of treating an eye injury is the prevention of eye damage or even loss in sight altogether. While many common eye injuries won’t require surgery, they all require some form of treatment. Minor surface scratches may only need some monitoring by you eye doctor - just to rule out and stave off any infection; other injuries require further treatment that is often more invasive, like surgery. This guide will help you determine what your next step should be in the event that you injure your eye. It’s important to note that there are ways to prevent an eye injury. Some are quite simplistic - like wearing safety goggles or glasses.

A corneal abrasion, otherwise known as a scratched eye, can stem from getting poked in the eye or rubbing the eye when something foreign, like dust, is present. Having a scratched eye is very uncomfortable and may make you sensitive to light. If it feels like something is scratching your eye or you accidentally poked your eye - head to your ophthalmologist immediately. Your eye doctor will be able to look into your eye to figure out if you’re susceptible to infection. Bacteria and fungi can show up in as little as 24 hours and may cause blindness in some cases, so don’t be surprised if you walk away with a prescription for an anti-biotic. If your eye is scratched, don’t rub it! There isn’t much you can do to alleviate the irritability but you can always place a cold compress on the eye for five minutes to help reduce any swelling that may occur.

If you get poked in the eye by something sharp - like a fish hook - you need to head to the emergency room ASAP! Do not attempt to take the object out yourself - you risk greater injury by doing that! Until you get to the ER, try to take a paper cup over your eye to protect it, then let the doctors work their magic. Follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter for aftercare.

Should you experience a chemical burn in your eye, don’t panic! Some substances burn while others sting but they are usually fairly harmless in the long run when treated properly. First, you need to distinguish the chemical makeup of what hit your eye. Was it acidic, causing redness and burning? Or was it alkali based like oven cleaner or toilet bowl disinfectant? Alkali-based chemicals are more serious than their acidic counterparts and require immediate attention. Acid-based burns require little more than rinsing your eye out with water. If you splashed your eye, place your head under a stream of tepid water for about 15-20 minutes so the water runs into your eye and down your face. Then head to the ER and tell them exactly what splashed into your eye. For immediate relief, place a cold compress or ice pack on your eye until you can get to the doctor. What ever you do, do not rub the eye!

Ever experienced eye swelling or puffiness? You’re not alone. If your first instinct was to place an ice pack or a package of frozen peas on your eye, then your instinct was correct. You may wind up with a simple black eye if you were hit with something like a baseball but you may want to consult with your doctor to make sure there’s no internal damage. The ice pack will help reduce the swelling but limit the exposure to 10-20 minutes within a given hour.

If you’ve injured your eye, your first step is to head to the doctor’s office or to the emergency room! Be specific about what happened to your eye and make sure you take out your contact lenses or take off your prescription eyeglasses prior to seeing the doctor. Prevention is the best course of action so be sure to wear protective eye gear when playing sports or working with metals or chemicals. You can easily buy glasses or goggles online that will help protect your eyes and prevent injury.