General Information

• Foreign bodies in the eye need to be removed, as they can damage the eye.
• The most common objects that get in the eye are an eyelash or a piece of dried mucus ("sleep").  Particulate matter such as sand, dirt, sawdust, or grit can be blown into the eyes. Tree and plant pollen can also get blown into the eyes.
• Rubbing the eye can lead to the foreign object scratching the cornea (clear part in center of eye).