If you’re heavily involved in fitness or sports, then you know that black eyes are always a possibility. They are usually painful, but they often look much worse than they feel. There are a few good ways to get rid of a black eye fast. The following tips will help you cure a black eye, whether you got it from fitness or accidentally.
Assess The Situation
You first need to evaluate how bad your black eye is. Most are mild, but if you took a hard enough blow then your vision could be damaged. Considering seeing your doctor if any of the following side effects are observed.
Swelling or pain that does not go away
Changes in vision
Signs of infection or fluid build-up.
Concussion-like symptoms
Truthfully, most black eyes will not require a doctor’s visit. Although they look very damaging, black eyes are simply the result of broken blood vessels beneath the skin. These blood vessels gradually leak and cause discoloration around the eyes.
Note that if both of your eyes are black and blue with persistent swelling, you should see your doctor immediately. This is an indication of a possible skull fracture.
Curing A Black Eye
If you’re looking for a black eye cure fast, the first thing you should do is apply ice to the affected area. A thin, flexible ice pack wrapped in a rag is the best thing to use, but a bag of frozen corn or mixed vegetables also works great. Make sure that you’re pressing the ice around the eye as opposed to the eyeball itself.
Apply the ice pack for 15-20 minutes every hour. You can do this every hour or at least 8-10 times throughout the day. Ice is the quickest way to get rid of a black eye because it reduces the amount of swelling and minimizes blood flow beneath the skin.
Although it’s not completely necessary, you can take pain medications like Advil or Tylenol to reduce pain and swelling. Combining ice with NSAIDs or acetaminophen is the most effective way to deal with a black eye. If you do choose to take a pain reliever, be sure to avoid Aspirin because it’s a blood thinner and might cause more bleeding around the eye.
Depending on the severity, black eyes can last for up to two weeks, but even the most severe are normally gone within a week. If you only have a mild injury, you can expect your eye to clear up in a day or two by following the above advice.
How They Happen
From a fitness standpoint, black eyes are usually a result of contact sports or accidental trauma to the eye. It’s most common to see this injury in sports, like American football, boxing, and MMA. Despite this, anyone’s eye can swell up or turn discolored as a result of an accidental hit to that area.
Sometimes, a black eye will not be apparent right away. Generally, the most swelling and bruising will be apparent after a day or two. If your injury persists for more than one week, considering seeing a medical professional for further evaluation.
Although they are fairly uncommon, it does not take much to get a black eye, and there are several ways in which it could happen. If you participate in contact sports, do your best to protect your face at all times.
Closing Remarks
In everyday life, black eyes are not too common, but it’s by no means a terrible injury. Most of the time, they clear up within a few days and are very mild. This is one of those injuries where it often looks much worse than it truly is.
As mentioned above, the combination of ice and pain medication is the best way to get rid of a black eye. You can apply the ice many times throughout the day, and take the pain relievers as instructed on the bottle. The more consistent you are with the ice, the faster you will heal.
You must see a medical professional if you experience any changes in vision throughout your healing process. Similarly, if you have two black eyes (raccoon eyes), then also see a doctor immediately for further analysis. Be safe with your daily life activities and hopefully you won’t experience too many more black eyes!
