You can treat many minor eye irritations by flushing the eye, but more serious injuries require medical attention. Injuries to the eye are the most common preventable cause of blindness, so when in doubt, err on the side of caution and call your child's doctor for help.

What to do

Routine irritations: (sand, dirt, and other foreign bodies on the eye surface)

-- Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the eyelids to examine or flush the eye.

-- Do not touch, press, or rub the eye itself, and do whatever you can to keep the child from touching it (a baby can be swaddled as a preventive measure).

-- Do not try to remove any foreign body except by flushing, because of the risk of scratching the surface of the eye, especially the cornea.

-- Tilt the child's head over a basin with the affected eye down and gently pull down the lower lid, encouraging the child to open his or her eyes as wide as possible. For an infant or small child, it's helpful to have a second person hold the child's eyes open while you flush.

-- Gently pour a steady stream of lukewarm water (do not heat the water) from a pitcher across the eye. Sterile saline solution can also be used.

-- Flush for up to 15 minutes, checking the eye every 5 minutes to see if the foreign body has been flushed out.

-- Because a particle can scratch the cornea and cause an infection, the eye should be examined by a doctor if there continues to be any irritation afterward.

-- If a foreign body is not dislodged by flushing, it will probably be necessary for a trained medical professional to flush the eye. Embedded foreign body: (an object penetrates the globe of the eye)

-- Call for emergency medical help.

-- Cover the affected eye. If the object is small, use an eye patch or sterile dressing. If the object is large, cover the injured eye with a small cup taped in place. The point is to keep all pressure off the globe of the eye.

-- Keep your child (and yourself) as calm and comfortable as possible until help arrives.

Chemical exposure

Many chemicals, even those found around the house, can damage an eye.

If your child gets a chemical in the eye and you know what it is, look on the product's container for an emergency number to call for instructions.

-- Flush the eye (see above) with lukewarm water for 15 to 30 minutes. If both eyes are affected, flush them in the shower.

-- Call for emergency medical help.

-- Call your local poison control center for specific instructions. Be prepared to give the exact name of the chemical, if you have it. However, do not delay flushing the eye first.

(KidsHealth.org)