Corneal abrasion heal on its own? i scratched my eye today with my fingernail, and my eye immediately started turning red in the corner of my eye where i scratched it. i have no soreness, or headaches, or blurred vision, or any other symptoms, just a red

Small : Small abrasions generally will heal on their own. However, if you start to develop pain, discharge or difficulty opening your eye then you should seek immediate medical care. On rare occasions a fingernail scratch to the eye can start to present with sharp pain in the eye when first awakening in the morning. If you start to develop this condition, aka recurrent corneal erosion syndrome, then it is important to see an eye doctor to put you on a preventative/therapeutic regimen of eye drops and ointments.

It : It sounds like you may have scratched the area near the cornea, but not the cornea. The cornea has more nerve endings per sq inch than any part of the body, and so the pain is severe when the cornea is truly scratched. You may have just caused a small abrasion or cut in the conjunctiva, leaving you with a red spot. If you have pain, discharge, or any change in vision, you must see a doctor asap.

Small : Small abrasions will often heal within hours and large abrasions may take one to two days. However, for any abrasion you should be using an antibiotic eye drops to prevent an infection. With a corneal infection there is a chance of permanent decrease in your vision. Please go visit your local ophthalmologist.

Need Rx: When the surface of the cornea is abraded antibiotic coverage is advised to prevent bacterial infiltration into the cornea. Pain also may increase after the exposed nere endings start to swell.