Black eye occurs when a dark blue lesion occurs under the skin around the eye. This occurs due to injury near the eye. Since the skin around the eyes is very thin, a scar is formed due to accumulation of blood there. Mostly it gets cured on its own but in some cases there is a need to consult a doctor. Black eye is also called shiner. In medical language it is called periorbital hematoma. In most cases the injury affects the face rather than the eyes.
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What is black eye?
According to the Mayo Clinic (ref), black eye usually occurs due to injury to the eye. The injury may cause swelling and even clotting of blood. This causes difficulty in opening the eyes and can cause temporary blurred vision. In case of black eye, apart from pain around the eye, a person may also feel headache. If both eyes turn black after a head injury, it indicates a serious condition. In such a situation, the person should immediately contact a doctor.
Symptoms of black eye
If a person gets injured around the eyes, there may be swelling at that place. As the swelling increases the color of the skin also changes. It may initially be red but may gradually fade or change to purple, yellow and black. In this case, if a hand is placed on the injured area, the person may feel continuous pain. Apart from this, vision may also become blurred. However, within a few days the swelling may reduce and the skin color also becomes lighter.
cause of black eye
The biggest cause of black eye is injury that occurs on the area around your eye. There can be many reasons for eye injury like accident, injury during sports, colliding with something etc. There can be some other reasons for black eye like facial surgery or skull fracture.
black eye treatment
Black eye heals on its own but it can be cured easily and quickly by adopting some measures.
- Ice the injury for about 10 to 20 minutes a day during the first one or two days.
- Apply a warm bandage to the injury after two days
- take over the counter pain relievers
However, you should take special care of some things like avoiding pressing hard on the injury. Apart from this, do not apply ice directly on the injury.
How long does a black eye last?
Usually the problem of black eye gets cured in two to three weeks and it does not require any kind of treatment.
Ways to prevent black eye
In some cases the chance of a black eye can be reduced. Always wear goggles when gardening, woodworking or metalworking. Eye protection is very important during sports, especially during martial arts, boxing etc.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It cannot in any way be a substitute for any medicine or treatment. Always consult your doctor for more information.