Feeling like something is in your eye is a common sensation. It usually means a stray eyelash has found its way into your eye. It can be very annoying!
Blink your eyes several times and see if the foreign object disappears. If not, splash some clean cold water (mineral or bottled) into your eye to flush it out.
Causes
Everyone has had an eyelash fall into their eye, and it’s annoying. Almost all eyelashes leave the eye as soon as they enter, but sometimes they get stuck. It is important not to rub, poke or try to push it out with a finger as this can cause a corneal abrasion and lead to scarring and vision loss. Using a few drops of saline solution or artificial tears can help flush out the lash without irritating your eye.
It is also helpful to wash your hands before touching your eyes as bacteria from the fingers can cause an eye infection, known as conjunctivitis. If you are unable to find the eyelash, try blinking several times as your eyes will naturally remove the foreign body.
Blepharitis is a common condition that causes itchy and watery eyes, often with a feeling of a foreign object in the eye. The most common type of blepharitis is anterior blepharitis, which occurs at the front edge of the eyelid where the eyelashes attach to the eyeball. Other types of blepharitis include rosacea and seborrheic blepharitis, which may be caused by dandruff of the scalp and eyebrows (seborrhea) or allergies (rosacea).
People who have long eyelashes, cry frequently or who habitually rub their eyes are more prone to getting stray eyelashes stuck in the eye. An eyelash that falls into the eye can be pushed in by the lid tissue, leading to an eyelid abnormality called trachoma. This preventable disease afflicts many in sub-Saharan Africa and is caused by the chlamydia trachomatis bacteria, which leads to scarring of the inner eyelid and can eventually lead to entropion and blindness.
Treatment
If you feel an eyelash in your eye, remain calm and avoid rubbing the eye. Rubbing the eyes can cause it to become more irritated and inflamed, leading to an increase in the risk of bacterial eye infections like conjunctivitis (pink eye) or keratitis. It can also introduce bacteria from the hands into the eye and can injure the delicate eyelid skin. Trying to remove an eyelash with tweezers or other sharp objects can scratch the cornea and increase the risk of eye infection. Here you can read Step by Step guide to get eyelash out of eye.
Each eyelash has a follicle and an outer layer of protective scales called the cuticle. The follicle has an inner medulla composed of cells, a shaft that extends outside the skin and a bulb which is the enlarged terminal portion.
The outer layer of the lash is seven to ten layers thick and made of transparent overlapping scales. The lashes are sensitive to touch and are especially responsive to light, wind and movement of the eyelids. This sensitivity is how they can detect foreign elements like lint and dust. It is also why it can be difficult to keep the eyes open when putting on contacts or eye makeup. The lashes also have an unique anatomy which differs from hair elsewhere on the body. They have no arrector pili muscles to straighten them, instead they have a natural tendency to curve inwards when exposed to cold or in response to a strong emotion like fear or excitement. The lashes can be prone to a variety of disorders including madarosis, blepharitis and ingrown eyelashes. They can also become infested with parasitic mites like Demodex folliculorum or Demodex brevis.
Prevention
We’ve all been there – the feeling that a stray eyelash is in your eye. It may hurt, itch or make you want to blink over and over again until it goes away. The best thing to do is calm down and try not to rub your eyes or use a sharp object like tweezers to remove it. Instead, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, dry them, and then take a deep breath and blink several times to see if your natural tears can wash it out of your eye.
If it’s a long time and the sensation persists, it’s important to have your eyes checked by an eye care specialist. They will be able to help you determine what is causing the sensation and provide treatment for it.
Ingrown eyelashes (trichiasis) occur when your lashes grow towards the inside of your eyelid and cause friction. Blepharitis causes inflammation of the eyelid oil glands (meibomian glands). It often makes the eyelid appear red and crusty around the eyelashes and it can lead to other symptoms such as a feeling that something is in your eye, itchy or watery eyes, or swollen eyes. The Demodex mites in the eyelashes can also cause irritation and itching of the eyelids. These are more common in adults and tend to worsen with age.
Diagnosis
Eyelashes have sensitive nerve fibers that sense any foreign object in the eye and cause an automatic blink response. Eyelash fibers are also designed to detect lint or dust in your eye, so if you accidentally touch the tip of an eyelash, your eyes will immediately react. This is why it’s important to avoid touching your eyes, even with your fingernails or tweezers, until you get to a medical professional for help.
Diagnosis is the process of identifying a disease or condition through signs and symptoms. It requires a medical professional to review a patient’s health history and conduct an interview and physical exam. This may include performing diagnostic tests, such as blood and imaging tests, to determine what’s causing a patient’s current symptoms.
Depending on the symptoms, a healthcare provider may begin the diagnosis process by creating a differential diagnosis. This is a list of conditions that share similar symptoms and could be the cause of the issue. Healthcare providers will order additional tests to eliminate possible causes from the list until they have a definitive diagnosis.
An eyelash can become stuck in the eye if it is not removed in a timely manner. This can cause irritation and itchiness, which often leads to the patient rubbing their eyes. In some cases, if an eyelash becomes embedded in the eye, it can result in corneal scarring or conjunctivitis (pink eye). For this reason, it’s important to seek out the help of an ophthalmologist or optometrist when you feel an eyelash in your eye.
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