# Possible Cornea Scratch - Do I Need to See a Doctor?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 23, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577 "2015-08-23T03:32:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/1 "2015-08-23T03:32:37Z")
Today I managed to poke myself in the eye with a mascara wand (which I haven’t done in decades.).
My eye is only slightly red, not swollen, and I can see fine. But I’m pretty sure I scratched it because when I put in allergy eye drops they burned like hell (I irrigated them right back out of that eye).
The eye is only slightly uncomfortable, and I’m debating whether I need to go to a walk-in/urgent care center tomorrow. I haven’t had a minor eye injury in 30+ years, so I don’t have any idea what treatment might be.
I had LASIK surgery four or five years ago. Healed totally fine, no problems. But that makes the cornea thinner, right?
Thoughts from people who’ve done equally dumb things, or medical professionals?
(I’ve already checked out WebMD and so on.)
---
### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/2 "2015-08-23T04:08:17Z")
Lordy, I sure as hell would go to an ER! Scratched eyes aren’t like scratched skin.
---
### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/3 "2015-08-23T04:35:37Z")
I second that you should go to an ER. I wouldn’t be as emphatic if you hadn’t had LASIK.
Chances are, it won’t be a big deal, but this is nothing to fool around with.
---
### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/4 "2015-08-23T04:37:47Z")
You need to see an ophthalmologist. Since it’s the weekend you go to an ER and they’ll put antibiotic and a bandage on your eye. See an ophthalmologist on Monday.
---
### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/5 "2015-08-23T04:48:32Z")
My thought is not to worry about it, only because everyone that I know that scratched their cornea was in so much pain they ended up calling someone for help to drive them to the ER because they didn’t know what was wrong. It was considerably more than ‘hey, my eye is bugging me’.
I think, IIRC, all of these people did it by catching their eye with a fingernail while removing a contact lens.
TriPolar mentioned seeing an ophthalmologist, but many Sam’s Clubs and Walmarts\* have a vision center that with optometrists. An optometrist should be able to diagnose the scratch and write you a script for antibiotics if you need them. You may be able to get in to them on short notice and on a Sunday and not pay ER/Urgent Care prices. They’re also going to be better trained to look at eyes than an ER doc.
\*Sams Club/Walmart is where I send my employees when they call in sick with “Pink Eye” and then act surprised when I tell them they can’t come back to work until they’ve seen a doctor. I mean, they’re welcome to go anywhere they want or to their own family doc, but Sam’s Club can often see you the same day.
---
### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/6 "2015-08-23T05:26:10Z")
Joey is right. I should have recalled my own experience where I first went to see an optometrist. That would be better than ER.
---
### Author:  [@yawuntz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawuntz)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/7 "2015-08-23T06:58:30Z")
I used to get corneal abrasions from time to time, and found that a combo of Duolube and Muro 128 took care of 'em… They were available OTC at the time, don’t know about now.
---
### Author:  [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/8 "2015-08-23T15:21:08Z")
Thanks, all. I’ll be heading out to see a doc today. It feels fine this morning, but it never hurts to have someone check it out.
---
### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/9 "2015-08-26T18:09:33Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#):
>
> Thanks, all. I’ll be heading out to see a doc today. It feels fine this morning, but it never hurts to have someone check it out.
How are you now?
---
### Author:  [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-cornea-scratch-do-i-need-to-see-a-doctor/728577/10 "2015-08-27T22:07:31Z")
Maybe now you’ll agree that makeup is not so safe after all!
Hope you are okay.