About once a year I get a piece of metal in my eye and have to go to the eye doctor to have it removed. It usually happens when grinding, when a spark bounces off my clothes or my face and under my glasses. The worst kind are generated when I'm using a die grinder with a carbide burr since it makes sharp shavings that are especially dangerous. Sometimes the metal gets into my hair or on my eyebrows, and falls into my eyes later like when I'm showering. I wear glasses while I work, but rarely a full face shield because I find them very cumbersome.
Last week I got a piece of metal (steel) in my eye again while I was grinding on a frame part. I felt it hit my eye lightly after it glanced off of my pants or shirt, as the sparks were not going toward my eyes. I kept working and later that evening I felt something was in my eye.
I was on the computer later that evening, and it started bothering me more. I figured I'd have to go to the eye doctor in the morning, which costs me 2-3 hours and $75 for an office visit and sometimes a painful 2-3 days after that with a patch on my eye. I hadn't really tried removing it yet because it wasn't bothering me until then. I had an idea that I've wanted to try out, so I decided to try pulling it out with a magnet. I have some very strong rare-earth magnets that are about 1/2" diameter discs. I held one of them very close to my eye and in the area where the metal felt like it was. Viola! The metal was gone from my eye just like that!
Here's some tips I've learned over the years....
There are several ways to get metal out of your eye, one being trying to flush it out with water or saline solution. This is usually not very productive since the sharp metal sticks to the eye very well. Another involves the use of a Q-tip like swab. If you can find a swab with synthetic fibers instead of cotton, it seems to cling to the metal better. But I have used cotton swabs successfully.
Try not to leave the metal in your eye overnight, as it hurts like hell by morning and it can rust, requiring a doctor to remove the rust from your cornea. This is usually done by drilling or a tiny "ice cream scoop" with razor sharp edges. It's a lot more invasive and painful than removing it right away.
Obviously the magnet trick will only work on ferromagnetic metals like steel and some stainless steels, but it's worth having a strong magnet in your shop or your house just in case it works. Make sure it's clean before getting it near your eye. It worked for me!
Last week I got a piece of metal (steel) in my eye again while I was grinding on a frame part. I felt it hit my eye lightly after it glanced off of my pants or shirt, as the sparks were not going toward my eyes. I kept working and later that evening I felt something was in my eye.
I was on the computer later that evening, and it started bothering me more. I figured I'd have to go to the eye doctor in the morning, which costs me 2-3 hours and $75 for an office visit and sometimes a painful 2-3 days after that with a patch on my eye. I hadn't really tried removing it yet because it wasn't bothering me until then. I had an idea that I've wanted to try out, so I decided to try pulling it out with a magnet. I have some very strong rare-earth magnets that are about 1/2" diameter discs. I held one of them very close to my eye and in the area where the metal felt like it was. Viola! The metal was gone from my eye just like that!
Here's some tips I've learned over the years....
There are several ways to get metal out of your eye, one being trying to flush it out with water or saline solution. This is usually not very productive since the sharp metal sticks to the eye very well. Another involves the use of a Q-tip like swab. If you can find a swab with synthetic fibers instead of cotton, it seems to cling to the metal better. But I have used cotton swabs successfully.
Try not to leave the metal in your eye overnight, as it hurts like hell by morning and it can rust, requiring a doctor to remove the rust from your cornea. This is usually done by drilling or a tiny "ice cream scoop" with razor sharp edges. It's a lot more invasive and painful than removing it right away.
Obviously the magnet trick will only work on ferromagnetic metals like steel and some stainless steels, but it's worth having a strong magnet in your shop or your house just in case it works. Make sure it's clean before getting it near your eye. It worked for me!
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