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Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.

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In this Article

• Black eye introduction
• What causes a black eye?
• What are the signs and symptoms of a black eye?
• When should I call the doctor for a black eye?
• How is a black eye diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for a black eye?
• What are the complications of black eye?
• How can I prevent a black eye?
• Black Eye At A Glance
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Black Eye Index

Black eye injury can be avoided with basic injury prevention.

• Check the home for items that might cause a fall, such as throw rugs or objects on the floor (such as toys).
  
  
• Wear the appropriate protective gear for any athletic or work-related activity.
  
  
• Wear goggles or other eye protection when working, doing yard work, or other hobbies and sports that may be injurious to the eyes.
  
  
• Wear seat belts while driving and wear helmets when riding a motorcycle.

• A black eye often results from injury to the face or the head, and is caused when blood and other fluids collect in the space around the eye. Swelling and dark discoloration result in a "black eye."
  
  
• Most black eyes are relatively minor injuries. Many heal on their own in a few days, but they may signify a more serious injury.
  
  
• The most common cause of a black eye is a blow to the eye, nose, or forehead.
  
  
• Pain and swelling are the most common signs and symptoms of a black eye.
  
  
• Call a doctor if the injured individual has changes in vision, severe pain, or swelling that does not go away, the swelling around the eyes is not related to an injury, there are signs of infection (for example, fever, warmth, redness, pus-like drainage), if the person has behavioral changes, forgetfulness or lethargy, nausea, vomiting and/or dizziness, loss of vision (especially double vision), or an inability to move the eye itself (i.e., unable to look in different directions).
  
  
• Home remedies for black eye include rest and ice applied early after the injury help to decrease swelling and pain. Do not use raw meat on an eye injury, this creates potential for infection.
  
  
• Avoid a black eye with basic injury prevention. Wear the appropriate protective gear for any athletic or work-related activity.
  
  
• Complications include traumatic iritis and uveitis, hyphema, glaucoma, orbital floor fracture (blowout fracture), and retinal detachment.

References:

eMedicineHealth.com; "Iritis."

MedicineNet.com; "Uveitis."

Glaucoma Research Foundation; "Traumatic Glaucoma."

eMedicine.com; "Facial Trauma, Orbital Floor Fractures (Blowout)."

National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health; "Retinal Detachment."

Medline Plus; "Eveitis."

eMedicine.com; "Hyphema."