Help! I Got Sunscreen in My Eyes!

I've always made a personal goal to try all the products that I prescribe (almost) so that I know what it's like to be in their shoes. I'll sample all the new brands of contact lenses, try different eye drops (as long as they are safe in the long run), try new lens technology, go see other eye doctors, and put myself through various testing like the visual field. I even dabbed a little clear care (hydrogen peroxide) contact lens solution in my eye while I was in optometry school just to see how bad it hurt. Yes, I indeed confirmed, it hurt and makes your eye feel like its on fire for several hours. After that "sacrifice" I never forget to issue a firm warning about it.

I also have had the experience of sunscreen in the eyes but that was much earlier in life. It stings and actually it lasted a couple of days!

So, being that it's almost summer time, I thought I'd give a few pointers on how to prevent sunscreen from getting in your eyes, and if it happens, what to do about it.

Prevention:

1) If you are using spray, just spray it on your hands rather than trying to close the eyes and spray it over the face.

2) After spraying the hands or putting the lotion in the hands, rub it onto the face, but just skip the eyelids. Even though the eyelids are skin and they can get cancer, just as easily as the rest of the skin, don't bother with the sunscreen there. Stop above the eyebrows and at the top of the cheeks.

3) Instead of getting the sunblock in the eyelid region, the best way to protect that area is to put on eyewear which has 100% UV protection. Your sunglasses and glasses will usually have UV protection built into the lens (i.e. trivex & polycarbonate) but not always (CR-39).

4) Also consider a wide brimmed hat.

What to do if you did get sunscreen in the eyes?

1) Don't panic

2) Wash your hands

3) Remove you contacts

4) Flush eyes with saline or water

5) Use non preservative lubricant eye drops up to every hour or two to alleviate pain and stinging.

6) If your eyes continue to hurt or you experience any changes in vision after following these steps, please contact your local Optometrist or Ophthalmologist for an evaluation. They will assess your eyesight and utilize a slit lamp biomicroscope to examine your cornea and conjunctiva for any potential damage.

That gives you a bit of an overview on how to manage the problem of sunblock in the eyes but also how to prevent it. So with that information, wear your sunglasses, hats and enjoy the sunny weather!