Getting vinegar into your eyes. First aid for adults and children

Housewives usually store vinegar in their kitchen . And curious children can easily knock the bottle over themselves and get serious chemical burns. It’s even worse if a drop of the substance gets into your eyes: it immediately causes a burn to the retina, which can lead to loss of vision .

Due to carelessness, an adult can also receive such an injury.
Keep in mind! One thing is clear: there is no time to reproach and shake your head, you need to urgently help the victim.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a chemical burn depend on the concentration of the substance.

If an accident occurs with acid up to 9%, which is most often used in everyday life, you can hope for a favorable outcome.

But
70% vinegar can completely melt the cornea and lead to the formation of a cataract, which cannot be treated.
When vinegar gets on the cornea, a person experiences :

• severe burning and pain;
• tearfulness;
• itching;
• dizziness.

These symptoms include blurred vision and redness of the eyes and eyelids.

What to do if you get a vinegar burn?

• external;
• internal.

In the first case, the acid gets on the skin, face, mucous membranes, hands - that is, on the human body. Particularly sharp pain is caused by the essence getting into the eyes.

Internal injury can be caused by swallowing vinegar. The solution burns the larynx, esophagus, and stomach. This damage is especially dangerous if the victim has gastrointestinal diseases.

To avoid burns, you should handle vinegar and its derivatives carefully. However, if an accident has already occurred, it is necessary to immediately provide assistance to the victim.

Even if a person burned with acid is at home alone, but knows the principles of first aid for a burn with vinegar, he can significantly relieve the pain and reduce the depth of the injury. Of course, it will be even better if someone is nearby.

First aid at home

You should know! A chemical burn to the eye cannot be cured on your own.

But first aid is necessary to reduce pain and prevent the substance from penetrating into the deep tissues of the eye.

For an adult

An adult needs to rinse the eyes for 15-20 minutes or until the burning sensation completely disappears .
To do this, you need to either place your open eye under running water, or fill a basin with cool water, lower your face there and blink quickly.

The colder the water, the stronger the analgesic effect.

Treatment

The effectiveness of treatment is directly related to how much time has passed since the burn and whether first aid measures were taken.

Further treatment depends on the degree of damage to internal organs and may take a long time. In some cases, scars remain that cannot be removed.

Treatment of skin burns proceeds much faster. The main role here is played by timely washing of the affected area. Next, the wound is treated with antiseptics, oils and special ointments for burns with vinegar. Universal remedies for burns, such as La-Cri restorative cream, are also suitable.

After the wound has healed, care must be taken to restore the affected area of ​​skin. Products are perfect for these purposes. All hand, face and body care products are manufactured to high quality standards: creams, emulsion and washing gel do not cause an allergic reaction and are suitable for those with sensitive skin, as well as for children.

La-Cri cream for sensitive skin is designed to relieve symptoms of hypersensitivity and inflammatory manifestations on the skin - redness, irritation, itching, rashes and peeling. Effective for relieving itching after insect bites and burns.

The cream contains:

• Seed and licorice extracts have anti-inflammatory properties, have an antipruritic effect, and relieve redness and flaking of the skin.
• Violet extract and bisabolol (the active ingredient of chamomile) have an anti-inflammatory and soothing effect.
• Panthenol and avocado oil have a regenerating and softening effect, nourish and moisturize the skin.
• Walnut extract has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and healing effects.

Consequences

Even a small amount of vinegar that gets on the cornea does not pose a direct threat to the health of the victim .

A chemical can cause damage to the eye even without symptoms: this is the insidiousness of a burn.

Reference! Acid concentration of 1-9% leads to burns of the first degree, 70-90% - moderate and severe.

In severe cases, the acid burns through the cornea to the sclera , resulting in the formation of a fairly large white spot.

Because of it, vision becomes blurred or almost completely lost .

Complete or partial clouding of the lens leads to irreversible pathological changes in the ocular structures.

Their consequence is complete loss of vision.

The most harmless consequence of a vinegar burn is infection of the mucous membranes . In this case, a course of antibacterial treatment will be required.

First aid: what to do?

As soon as the acid gets on the mucous membranes, it is necessary to rinse the eye with cool running water. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. Since a quick wash will not completely remove the remaining reagent. If vinegar gets into a small child's eyes, you can fill a syringe with water and inject it directly into the eyeball. The colder the liquid, the stronger the analgesic effect. Afterwards, washing with a weak soda solution at a concentration of 1 tsp is indicated. for 1 glass. It is also recommended to fill a large container with cool water and put your face in it. You need to keep your eyes open. The procedure should be repeated 3-4 times or until the severe burning sensation disappears.

The doctor selects medications for the patient for a course of therapy.

An ophthalmologist may prescribe the following medications presented in the table:

Rubbing the eye with your hands or a towel is prohibited, so as not to cause additional infection of the mucous membranes.

You should not take medications unless prescribed by a doctor, as dosages vary depending on symptoms and physical parameters. Also, children should not be given Albucid 30%, because it will cause worsening retinal burns and increase redness. Immediately after injury, ointments should not be used. They are applied to the eyelids before bed to calm the inflammatory process. After the first symptoms have resolved, you can also apply a cool compress to your eyes to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Among folk remedies, a cool decoction of chamomile and calendula is recommended, which should be used to wash the eyes for 2-3 days.

Is it necessary to go to the hospital to treat burns?

Sometimes after first aid is provided, the victim feels much better and decides not to go to the hospital. However, ophthalmologists strongly recommend that in case of any burn injuries, immediately call an ambulance or independently take the victim to the hospital, where he will be prescribed further therapy.

Such recommendations are explained by the fact that eye burns have several stages of development, which can cause difficulties in diagnosis. Sometimes, on the first day, symptoms of a mild burn are observed, and after a couple of days, irreversible changes in the cornea and other tissues of the eye occur, up to the complete loss of its functions.

That is why, after providing emergency care, it is necessary to urgently take the patient to the nearest ophthalmological hospital, where his condition can be monitored and promptly corrected by professional doctors.

Forecast

A chemical burn is a serious and emergency situation that requires immediate attention. Despite this, the prognosis in most cases is favorable. The main thing is not to panic and take all necessary measures.

Then doctors are able to completely preserve and restore the functions of the visual organs.

In industries with an increased risk of danger, workers undergo special training. Therefore, most people know what to do in an emergency. If there is no one near the victim, you must definitely call for help. The damage may cause blurred vision or an inability to open the eyelids. Therefore, the patient cannot help himself.

There are cases when timely, high-quality care cannot protect against the formation of a cataract on the injured eye. In addition, there is always a risk of atrophy of the eyeball, and subsequently loss of its mobility.

It is worth considering that preventing such damage is much easier than treating it. Complications can be very serious. Despite all the necessary auxiliary manipulations, you can lose your vision. It all depends on the substance that caused the burn and the extent of its damage.

When working with household products, it is important to prevent them from getting into your eyes. At enterprises, workers must be given protective uniforms and glasses. Especially those who come into contact with chemicals. Also, enterprises must have instructions for work and first aid rules.

If the employer does not provide the necessary protective equipment, this is considered a gross violation. Therefore, when working with chemicals and hazardous substances, this information must be taken into account. A person must be aware of the work rules and follow safety precautions.

Sources

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Contraindications

In case of a chemical burn of the conjunctiva and eyes, first aid must be provided to the victim. This will help eliminate the harmful substance and prevent the development of complications. An inexperienced person may make mistakes in carrying out such manipulations. In case of such lesions, it is strictly prohibited:

• eye rubbing;
• allow bubbles to burst;
• use eye drops;
• use alcoholic substances for processing;
• use healing agents without first washing the eyes.

It is worth considering that burns caused by lime or sulfuric acid should not be washed with water. Eye drops are not used for damage caused by glue. Every person will find this information useful. The danger and risk of such damage exists not only in production, but also in everyday life. If you correctly provide assistance to the victim, then in most cases this situation will end happily.