Individuals who have regrettably gotten sunblock in their eyes are aware how much it can sting. A real strong rub in the eye can even result in stinging that lasts for hours. It can take a long time until the victim can feel comfortable enough to open his eyes, particularly in the glaring sun.
There's no doubt rubbing sunblock in your eyes can ruin a day of fun in the sun. While the discomfort will probably last for a while, relief will come more quickly with the right care.
The best treatment is immediately flushing the eye out with a stream of water for a while. Doing so will rinse the sunscreen out of the eye but it may not relieve the discomfort at once. While it won't help to remove the sunscreen, applying cool, wet compresses to the eyes may have a soothing effect. Applying eye drops such as Visine may be useful in rinsing out the eye, but it is likely they will burn.
Even after the eyes are flushed, it is normal for vision to be somewhat blurry. If pain persists after a significant amount of time contact your eye care professional.
Prevention
- Do not spray sunblock straight on the face.
- Don't let small children put on sunscreen alone.
- Keep lotion out of reach of children.
- Rub sunscreen in completely.
- Do not apply sunscreen too close to the eyes.
- Wear large sunglasses to protect the eyes and the surrounding areas from ultraviolet rays.
