Black Eye

Black Eye

This morning's racquetball game was going so

well--until your opponent hit that unbelievable shot

that bounced off the wall and hit you right in the

eye. After he finished apologizing profusely and the

pain subsided somewhat, you picked up your ego

and went home. But now you're beginning to

resemble a prizefighter who lost the prize! Your

eyelid is nearly swollen shut, the area around your

eye is turning black and blue, and the throbbing

pain is back in full force. You're starting to wonder

if there's more to this injury than meets the eye.

As horrifying as a black eye can look--and as

embarrassing as it can be to explain--it is usually

nothing that will cause lasting or serious damage.

"A black eye is simply a hemorrhage around the

eye. The blood underneath the skin comes through

as a purplish color. While there are many diseases

and conditions that can cause black eyes [see

"Other Causes of Black Eyes"], a true shiner is

most often the result of trauma to the eye caused by

a fistfight or a sports injury," says Jon H. Bosland,

M.D., a general ophthalmologist in private practice

in Bellevue, Washington. "If the swelling comes

down rapidly and your vision is good, it is not

likely that there is any serious damage to the eye,"

he says.

Still, Bosland urges anyone with a black eye to see

a doctor in order to rule out damage to the eye itself.

(It is especially important to see a doctor without

delay if there is any change in vision.) Once you

are sure everything is all right, there are some steps

you can take at home to care for your shiner. There

are also some preventive measures that you can

take to help keep your eyes out of the black in the

future.

Ice the area.

"This will reduce the swelling and numb some of

the initial pain," says Carol Ziel, M.D., an

ophthalmologist with the Eye Clinic of Wausau in

Wisconsin. Hold an ice pack or some ice cubes

wrapped in a washcloth on the eye. "Putting

crushed ice in a plastic bag and placing the bag on

top of a cold washcloth over the eye also works

well," says Charles Boylan, M.D., a pediatric

ophthalmologist at A Children's Eye Clinic of

Seattle.

Pack it in popcorn or peas.

A bag of frozen, unpopped popcorn kernels or

frozen peas placed over a washcloth on the affected

eye can also help cool the area and bring some

relief.

Clean it up.

Clean any small lacerations with mild soap and

water. "Then continue to keep them clean and dry,"

says Ziel. This will help to keep the area from

becoming infected with bacteria. "Some-times, the

tissue around the eye can actually split because the

soft tissue is being pushed against a hard surface of

underlying bone. You can get a considerable

hemorrhage from this, which can leave a bit of a

lump afterward," adds Bosland.

Avoid pressing on the eye itself.

The area has already been traumatized enough, and

pressing on it will only cause further trauma, says

Bosland. So be gentle when you apply an ice pack

or clean the area.

Keep your chin up.

OK, so you look and feel a little like Rocky Balboa.

Be thankful you can see yourself in the mirror, and

try to resign yourself to the added color for a while.

"The discoloration tends to last one to two weeks,"

says Bosland. It will lessen during that time, but it

won't fade completely for a couple of weeks or so.

Wear goggles.

As is true with so many injuries, the best treatment

is prevention. While you may not necessarily like

the way you look in goggles, wearing them can

help you ensure that you'll be able to see the way

you look. Any sport that involves close contact

with other individuals and/or the use of a small ball

of some sort is likely to put you at risk for a black

eye. "The majority of black eyes we see are caused

by the eye being hit by an elbow, hand, or knee or

by an object small enough to fit inside the bony

structure around the eye," says Boylan. Tennis

doesn't really qualify because the ball is too big.

But squash, racquetball, and skiing (the end of the

pole can hit the eye) are particularly dangerous to

the eye. And basketball, where arms and legs are

flying in close quarters, can also leave you

vulnerable to a nasty black eye. To protect your

eyes, Boylan suggests that you wear protective eye

wear, such as goggles or even glasses with

shatterproof glass or plastic lenses. "Anyone with

only one good eye should always wear protective

eye wear if there is a chance of being hit with

anything," stresses Boylan. As far as how to

choose the right goggles or glasses, it's not too

difficult. "Make sure the lenses are shatterproof and

the glasses or goggles fit comfortably," says Boylan.

"The goggles worn by squash and racquetball

players often don't contain any lenses, and that's

OK. The frame itself will keep the ball away from

the eye," he continues. Most sporting goods stores,

as well as eye-wear stores, carry protective eye

wear for sporting events. If you can't locate any,

consult your eye doctor.