Occasionally , blunt trauma can injure the retina by creating retinal tears which may lead to a retinal detachment in the future . Also , bleeding into the vitreous jelly may occur which will blur vision . Retinal hemorrhage and retinal bruising can happen . Infrequently , the optic nerve itself is damaged by blunt trauma . Note that any ' black eye ' , i.e. peri-orbital eyelid bruising , may have additional , more serious , eye injuries .
Blunt trauma can affect the anterior portion of the eye too .
A penetrating eye injury may lead to a significant corneal laceration or a ruptured globe . No pressure should be applied to a suspected ruptured globe. A ruptured globe with iris tissue prolapsed through a corneal laceration . Hazardous liquid chemicals that can splash into the eyes include strong acids e.g., battery acid , strong alkali e.g., ' Drano ' , organic solvents e.g., gasoline , and bleach. The most important thing is to flush the eyes gently with generous amounts of plain tap water as quickly as possible .