This past weekend I ventured the 6 hours to Rock Island, Illinois to watch my little brother compete in the first wrestling tournament of his sophomore season at Augustana College. He has always been a wrestler, and therefore has always had injuries. This weekend, one of his matches had to be paused because his eye was gauged. After all the blood was wiped up, they trucked right on to continue the match.
After the match (which he won), his eye looked terrible. It was already black, blue, and swollen. It looked to me like he needed medical attention – how could something important not have been damaged? How dangerous is it really?
Well, the retina could definitely be affected, and the eye could be damaged. The surrounding area of the eye has a lot of tiny veins, when the veins are impacted they quickly become damaged resulting in swelling and discoloring. If you experience changes in your vision, continuing severe pain, infections, or behavioral changes then seek medical attention immediately.
The area surrounding the eye is incredibly sensitive and connected to other important aspects of your health.
If you don’t have any of these problems, the best thing to do is to immediately put an ice pack on the injury to reduce the swelling. This helps the blood clot, which stops the bleeding and decreases the pain. Remember though, if you have any hesitations or concerns consult professional medical attention immediately. Dr Tavel has convenient hours and 20 locations that are always willing to help.