Article: The damaged area will be sensitive until the discoloration fades. Putting pressure on the eye can make it hurt more, but it can also aggravate the damaged blood vessels beneath the skin, causing a worse or prolonged injury. Before you get the swelling to calm down, you should also avoid forcing your eye to stay open for a prolonged period of time. After a day or two of using an ice pack to soothe the swelling, you should switch tactics and begin applying moist heat to the injured area. Hold a warm, moistened washcloth or compress against the affected area. Do not use a heating pad, since this provides dry heat and can actually be too hot, thereby causing more damage to the sensitive skin of your face. Apply the warm compress in 10-minute intervals, each of which should be separated by a period of rest lasting no less than 10 minutes each. Do not apply the warm compress directly to the eye. Only apply it to the skin around the eye. Warm compresses promote an increased amount of circulation to the damaged blood vessels. This allows pooled blood trapped below the surface of your skin to be re-absorbed, which can speed up the healing process. Your black eye should fade significantly after a week and a half or so. If it has not faded much within that time frame, call your general practitioner and schedule an appointment. Black eyes tend to look worse before they get better, so don't be alarmed if your eye looks worse during the first few days following the injury. If you have any reason to suspect there is still bleeding, however, then you should see your doctor right away.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Avoid putting pressure on the eye or causing more damage. Switch to moist heat after 24 to 48 hours. Call a doctor if the damage worsens or does not fade.