Most of the time, a black eye doesn’t need a whole lot of help. Here are some things you can do to help ease pain and swelling.
- Apply cold. Use an ice pack for ten minutes every two to four hours — especially if your eye is swollen shut. Cold will help reduce swelling and decrease internal bleeding from damaged blood vessels (this is what causes the colorful bruising). Try putting crushed ice or frozen veggies in a small plastic bag. Tape the bag to your forehead so you don’t put pressure on the injured eye. You can even use a cold can of soda to help relieve swelling! Apply the can lightly to the cheek, not directly to the eye for five minutes every quarter hour or so. Ice is best, but if you don’t have ice handy, a soda can will do.
- Skip aspirin for pain relief — aspirin is an anticoagulant, which could leave you with a bigger bruise. (The blood won’t clot, and bleeding beneath the skin is what causes the discoloration of a bruise.) Try acetaminophen (the pain reliever in Tylenol) to ease pain without increasing blood flow/bruising.
- Don’t blow your nose. The impact that causes a black eye could also fracture the bones of the eye socket. Blowing your nose could force air up into the sinuses and out through the fractures, making your eye puff up even more.
- Don’t stress about the bruises. Once a bruise forms, you can’t do much to lessen the discoloration. Wait it out — most black eyes only last for a week or so. The bruise will start off black, then turn green, then yellow before returning to normal.
Many black eyes can be treated safely at home. However, if you are experiencing ANY vision impairment — blurring, light sensitivity, double vision, floaters, or serious pain in your eye — you need to see a doctor.