They will have pain, sensitivity to light, swollen lids and a watery eye. It is important to have the eye evaluated with a slitlamp microscope to look closely at the cornea. A diagnostic dye, called rose bengal, can be used to allow the herpes lesion to be identified more easily. It is very important to use antiviral medication to treat a corneal herpes infection to shorten the course of the disease and reduce the possibility of scarring. A chemical splash to the eye can occur suddenly.
Common substances are bleach, hair dye, cleaning products and battery acid.
The eye should be irrigated for 30 minutes to properly remove the irritant. The pH of the eye can be used to determine if the eye is free of chemical toxins. The object may be of a variety of materials. A metal foreign body can be particularly dangerous because of its tendency to rust when in a wet environment. The foreign body can lodge itself in the conjunctiva, both bulbar and palpebral.