Getting Hit in the Eye: Ocular And Orbital Facial Trauma

Eye Trauma

A tumble to the ground, a softball hitting the eye, an accidental gunshot wound, or a sports injury to the eye are some of examples of incidents that can cause ocular and orbital facial trauma. Among patients who suffer from facial fractures, almost one in four include orbital damage of some degree. In this group, nearly 80 percent will suffer from ocular trauma.

Orbital or Ocular Injury Management

Ocular and orbital facial trauma can be severe in many cases and may cause significant stress to the patient and their loved ones. Orbital fractures will often cause moderate to severe pain. This occurs because of a fairly high density of sensory pain fibers in the orbital and facial areas, which make pain symptoms more pronounced. Your eye surgeon will help you manage the pain and discomfort.

Diagnosing an orbital fracture can sometimes pose a challenge because these fractures can be quite subtle. Your eye doctor may require a CT scan if they suspect the presence of a fracture. This test will determine if orbital trauma is present.

Immediate Treatment

The first step after the patient experiences an eye injury is to conduct a general trauma assessment. After the eye specialist has addressed or ruled the more severe injuries, they will look at the diagnosis and treatment for ocular trauma. They will proceed systematically for the following things:

• Assessment of visual acuity
• Identifying any soft tissue injury
• Observing the epiphora
• Evaluating the globe position and extra-ocular muscle function
• Checking any palpation for possible bony deformities

When it appears that an orbital floor injury may have occurred, the patient should ideally avoid blowing the nose or observe extra care to ensure the nasal germs do not move upward into the orbit. The eye surgeon may prescribe antibiotics if the orbital injury is connected in some way to the nasal cavity or sinus.

Treatment Focus

Following primary trauma assessment to rule out or address more serious injuries, your surgeon will shift their focus on potential injuries that pose risk to eye function or vision. Examples of such injuries include:

Retrobulbar Hemorrhage

In this condition, the bleeding behind the eye globe becomes an emergency matter. The eye socket pressure can become so high that it could obstruct blood circulation to the retina, leading to retinal ischemia or blindness.

Extraocular Muscle Entrapment

This muscle entrapment may occur from the orbital floor fracture. It is indicated by the patient’s inability to move the eye in downward or upward gaze and autonomic instability may be observed. Young children who suffer this type of injury may require immediate surgery to release the extraocular muscle from the fracture. This will prevent acute hemodynamic instability as well as ocular motility issues in the long run.

Contact Khan Eyelid and Facial Aesthetics and Oculoplastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Dr. Tanya Khan Today to Schedule an Appointment

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Offices in Dallas, Plano and Austin, Texas.