Question 1

what to do for a black eye?

Accepted Answer

Black eye: If there is swelling, you can use cold compresses or icing it.  Once swelling goes down, you can use makeup to cover it up but it is going to take anywhere from 1-3 weeks to resolve.

Question 2

what can cause a black eye?

Accepted Answer

Contusion, clotting: A black eye is bleeding under the skin around the eye.  Most commonly it is due to a hit to the eye frequently from a fist but other objects can do this.  Rarely a blood clotting problem can cause bleeding in this area with a black eye as the result.  See your ophthalmologist if the vision is disturbed or you suspect major tissue damage like an orbital bone fracture.

Question 3

what exactly is a black eye?

Accepted Answer

Bruised eyelid: Typically a swollen eyelid, dark skin color due to breakdown of blood (broken vessels that heal), sometimes lids swollen shut initially, can also have conjunctival hemorrhage showing.

Question 4

how do you treat a black eye?

Accepted Answer

Black eye: Usually cold packs off and on for the first 48 hours and then protect the eye from any trauma afterwards.  It usually takes weeks for all the color change to go away.  Avoid re-injury to eye.

Question 5

how long does a black eye last?

Accepted Answer

Depends: This will depend on the nautre of the injury, the amount of blood leaked out into the tissue and continuing to leak out, the initial treatment and continuing treatment, whether you are on Aspirin or other blood thinners like "plavix" or "coumadin" and you own ability to clot and remove clot.  A simple "black eye" may last 7-10 days.  More severe could last a month or more.

Question 6

what are symptoms of a black eye?

Accepted Answer

How'd u get it?: If you got the black eye because it met a fist or some other object, then pain, swelling and bruising occurs. The bony orbit surrounding the eye is amazing protective of the eye itself, so that most of the time there is no eye damage. However once can get a fracture of the orbit and that can be serious. So any visual symptom at all (double vision, blurry vision) or headaches/neuro problem--eye doc.

Question 7

why is my black eye getting worse?

Accepted Answer

Gravity: The blood under the skin causing the "black eye' will migrate by gravity and tissue fluid pressure for a while until it starts to absorb.  So the appearance worsens early until healing gets the upper hand.

Question 8

how can i take care of a black eye?

Accepted Answer

Ice for 48 hours: First determine if the eye underneath is ok.  Elevate the lid and see if the vision is close to that of the other eye (or close to what is was before).  If the vision is down see your ophthalmologist.  If there is no evidence of infection, and the damage seems to be just bruising, then use ice for 48 hours (10 minutes at a time about every two hours when awake) to stop bleeding. Then keep it clean.

Question 9

how to make a black eye heal faster?

Accepted Answer

Cool packs: initially cool compresses can limit the amount of bleeding and size of bruise. After the bruise has stabilized then warm compresses can speed up the absorption of the black and blue. Some also believe that arnica Montana can speed the resolution.

Question 10

does ice really work for a black eye?

Accepted Answer

Personal : Experience says yes. Ice is used mainly to decrease and limit swelling and is usually done for up to 24 to 48 hours after injury. Same as for a sprained ankle.

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