Eye Injuries & Nose Bleeds
Head injuries – Part II
Any head injury is potentially serious. If not properly treated, injuries that seem minor could become life threatening.
Head injuries include scalp wounds, skull fractures and brain injuries.
In Part II we want to concentrate on nose bleed, eye injuries and mouth injuries.
Nosebleed
Nosebleeds are one of the most common First Aid situations – for children and adults.
There are still many old wives tales about the best First Aid treatment.
The correct First Aid recommended however is as follows:
- Place the casualty sitting down with head forward
- Pinch the soft part of the nose for about 10 minutes and ask the casualty to breathe through his mouth and avoiding speaking, swallowing or coughing.
- Cold compression can be given by using ice packs over the nose area.
- If bleeding does not stop, repeat nose pinching for another 10 minutes.
- If bleeding still does not stop, seek immediate medical help.
- Discourage casualty from coughing or swallowing until the bleeding stops.
Eye injuries
Eye injuries are common, especially in sports. An eye injury can produce severe lifelong complications, including blindness. Should you be in any doubt about an injury’s severity, seek medical attention.
 Foreign objects in eye:
1. Stabilise long embedded objects with bulky dressings or clean cloths held in place
2. Have the casualty keep the uninjured eye closed
3. Call 999
DO NOT wash the eye out with water
DO NOT try to remove an embedded object
DO NOT press on an injured eyeball or penetrating object.
|
 Blows to the eye:Blows to the eye range from an ordinary black eye to severe damage that threatens eye sight
1. Apply an ice or cold pack for about 10 minutes to reduce pain and swelling. Do not apply it directly on the eyeball or apply any pressure on the eye.
2. Seek medical care if there is pain, double vision or reduced vision.
|
 Cuts of the eye or lid:Cuts of the eye of lid require very careful repair to restore appearance and function.
1. If the eyeball is cut, do not apply pressure on it! If only the eyelid is cut, apply a sterile or clean dressing with gentle pressure.
2. Have the casualty keep the uninjured eye closed.
3. Call 999
|
 Chemicals in the eye:Chemical burns of the eye need immediate care because damage can occur in as little as 1 minute. They may cause the loss of vision.
1. Hold the eye wide open and flush with running water or pre-bottled eyewash liquid for at least 20 minutes, continuously and gently.
2. Irrigate from the nose side of the eye toward the outside to avoid flushing material into the other eye.
3. Loosely bandage the eyes with wet dressings.
4. Seek medical attention.
|
Knocked out tooth:
When a tooth is knocked out, it is vital that a dentist addresses the injury within 30 minutes of the accident in order to have a chance of saving the tooth.
Gently rinse the tooth if it is dirty, taking care not to remove any attached tissue fragments.Or, place the tooth back in to its socket and hold it in place with your fingers or by gently biting down on it.
Alternatively, store the tooth in your mouth between the cheek and the gums.
If neither of these are possible, immerse the tooth in milk and take it with you to your dentist.For information on our first aid courses in Dublin click here.
