If you have ever gotten sunblock in your eyes, you know firsthand just how much it can hurt. In fact, someone who has experienced a severe case may compare it to mace or pepper spray. It can be a while until the victim can open his eyes, particularly in the glaring sun.
Needless to say rubbing sunscreen in your eyes is likely to ruin a day of fun in the sun instantly. Though the discomfort will likely last for some time, relief will come sooner with proper care.
The best treatment is immediately flushing the eye out with running water for some time. Doing so will rinse the sunblock out of the eye but it may not ease the discomfort at once. For discomfort, cool, wet cloths to the eyes may have a soothing effect. Eye drops such as Visine may assist in flushing out the eye, but it is likely they will cause burning.
After rinsing, it is normal for vision to be somewhat blurry. If pain continues after a significant amount of time call your optometrist.
Prevention
- Do not spray sunblock straight on the face. Always apply to the hands and rub into the face.
- Don’t allow small children to apply sunscreen alone.
- Keep lotion out of reach of children.
- Never let small children rub in sunscreen. If they have sunblock on their hands they may rub it in their eyes.
- Be very careful not to apply sunblock too close to the eyes.
- Wear sunglasses to guard the eyes and the surrounding areas from UV rays.
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