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Black Eye - Black Eye symptom, treatment, causes


What is Black Eye ?

Black Eye is the bruising and swelling around the eye, usually the result of a blow. Because of the looseness of tissues around the eye, injury to blood vessels in this egion leads to more bleeding and widespread bruising than a similar injury elsewhere. Cold compresses held to the eye will help to relieve pain and reduce swelling.

A black eye is a relatively common result of some injury to the face or the head. A black eye appears darker and more noticeable than other bruises because the eyelids and skin surrounding the eye are thinner than on other parts of the body. A black eye is caused when blood and other fluids collect in the space around the eye. Although most black-eye injuries aren't serious, bleeding within the eye, called a hyphema, is serious and can reduce vision and damage the cornea. The dramatic appearance (discoloration and swelling) does not necessarily indicate a serious injury. Trauma near the eyebrow or places not directly on the eye may make the eyelid go black. Because the skin around the eye is relatively thin and transparent compared to skin in other parts of the body, the black and blue color of a bruised eye may seem darker and more intense than bruises elsewhere. Eye injury and head trauma may also coincide with a black eye. A black eye may also be caused by a direct blow to the nose.

A black eye, sometimes called a "shiner," is a bruise around the eye. Surgical procedures to the face, such as a facelift, jaw surgery, or nose surgery, can also cause a black eye. The skin around the eye is very loose, with mostly fat underneath it. This makes it an ideal site for fluid to accumulate. Most black eyes happen by accident- during contact sports, at work, in a car crash or during home repair. Men get about four times more eye injuries than women do, and the average patient is approximately 30 years old. When vision changes after a blow to the eye, it is a warning sign that the injury may be more than a simple bruise. In some cases, a black eye also includes bleeding within the eye - called a "hyphema" - that can damage the cornea and possibly lead to glaucoma. Trauma around the eye could also indicate a fracture to the skull or to the bones that form the eye socket. Most black eye injuries are minor and will heal themselves in about one week. A blow to the nose often causes both eyes to swell because the swelling from the nasal injury causes fluid to collect in the loose tissues of the eyelids.

Causes of Black eye

The common causes and risk factor's of Black eye include the following:

  • A blow to the eye or the nose.
  • Eye injury.
  • You may get a black eye playing sports such as football, hockey, or basketball.
  • Surgical procedures to the face, such as a facelift, jaw surgery, or nose surgery, can cause black eyes as well.
  • Other causes may be a slingshot, BB gun, fist fight, or a work injury.
  • Some people may get a black eye from having a tooth pulled.

Symptoms of Black eye

Some sign and symptoms related to Black eye are as follows:

  • Eye pain.
  • Persistent headache.
  • Loss of sight and or fuzzy vision.
  • Bleeding in the eye.
  • Inability to move the eye or large swelling aroud the eye such as a hemotoma.
  • A black eye causes black-and-blue discoloration of the eyelids and soft tissues around the eye.
  • Blood on the surface of the eye itself or cuts on the eye itself.
  • Bruising in the eye.

Treatment of Black eye

Here is list of the methods to treat Black eye:

  • Ice helps to decrease swelling by constricting blood vessels, by decreasing fluid accumulation, and by cooling and numbing the area. Apply ice for 20 minutes an hour every hour while awake, for the first 24 hours. Ice should not be applied directly to the injury.
  • Use warm compresses on your eye after the first 24 hours. Do this by soaking a clean washcloth in warm water.
  • Sleep with your head raised on two or more pillows. This may help decrease eye swelling and pain.
  • Wear dark glasses, especially in well-lit areas, to reduce eyestrain as the black eye is healing.
  • Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for eye pain. This medicine may be bought over-the-counter at drug or grocery stores.

Black Eye - Black Eye symptom, treatment, causes

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