A corneal abrasion is an injury to the front surface of the eye.

The injury can occur when a foreign object gets in the eye, when the cornea becomes scratched or even from rubbing the eyes very hard.

The cornea is very sensitive.

Depending on the location and depth of the injury, it can be very painful and even sight threatening, resulting in permanent visual impairment.

Treatment is important to prevent infection within the injured cornea.

The medication that the doctor prescribes will help to heal the cornea and prevent the risk of infection.

It is important to follow the doctor's instructions so that the cornea heals properly.

Small abrasions can heal within 24 hours but other, more severe abrasions can take up to several weeks to heal.

There are different ways to treat this injury.

The doctor will probably prescribe eye drops and / or ointment.

You may need to wear a special contact lens overnight or longer in order to help with healing.

Sometimes a patch may need to be worn on the eye overnight.