“Eye abrasion and going back to work?”
I have an eye abrasion, plus I work in retail I need to know how many days I need to rest my eye?
Female | 24 years old
Complaint duration: 3
Medications: None
Conditions: None
5 Answers
A complete ophthalmologic exam should be performed to determine the cause of your symptoms.
Usually eye abrasions heal well with the help of antibiotics and steroid drops. You can go to work, it’s not contagious.
The issue is not so much giving your eye time to 'rest' as it giving it time to 'heal.' The cornea will heal from an abrasion on its own within a matter of days. During this time, however, it is vulnerable to infection since the cornea doesn't have a protective blood supply like the skin for example. This is why we treat corneal abrasions with antibiotic drops to prevent infection and monitor them closely. So, if you have a small abrasion not related to contact lens use, you could probably go back to work the next day, as long as your work doesn't expose you to a lot of dust, dirt, or animal matter. It is difficult for you to know on your own if you have a simple abrasion or one that is possibly infected, requiring more intensive treatment. This is more likely in the presence of contact lens use or due to an injury from something like a plant or animal. Your eye doctor would be able to determine how quickly you could safely return to work.
It depends. The photo doesn’t help. Ask the doctor who is treating you.
As soon as the pain goes away, you can go to work.
