How should a chemical injury to the eyes be managed?

Question

Hi doctor,

I accidentally sprayed a green-blue gas duster on the eyes. It is a keyboard dust cleaner that contains air and petroleum gas. It does not contain CFC. I rinsed with plenty of water. I do not have any issues with my eyesight. I had a burning sensation that persisted for 30 minutes. Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern. I checked on the product, the green-blue gas duster, which is purported to be compressed air. You need not worry as you have washed your eyes with plenty of water and you do not have redness or other signs of physical trauma. An acid or an alkali-induced trauma to the external lining of the eye would manifest as pink, watery eyes. The burning sensation you are experiencing could be due to the mechanical effect of the compression spray or even due to washing with tap water. I suggest you use a lubricating eye drop like Refresh Liquigel (carboxymethyl cellulose) eye drops for every two hours, one drop in each eye for two days, and taper it off to four times daily till you run out of drops in the bottle. I hope this helps you. Thank you.