Airbag dust in your eye: rinse first, then get checked

Guidance from emergency doctors and eye specialists on chemical eye injuries

For survivors and families3 min read

Eye and vision injuriesAirbag injuriesEye irritationEye examEmergency care

An airbag can hurt your eye in a few ways. The impact or flying debris can do it. In rare cases, a chemical gets into the eye. If your eye is red and sore after an airbag goes off, don’t automatically write it off as a simple scratch. A chemical can keep harming the eye until it’s washed out. Start rinsing right away, even before anyone does a full eye exam. [1, 2, 3]

Wash a chemical out of the eye right away

Use lots of clean running water or saline. Hold the eyelids open if you can. Keep rinsing for at least 20 minutes while someone arranges urgent help. If a contact lens slides out easily, take it out and go on rinsing. Don’t try to cancel out the chemical with some other substance. Tell the emergency team the airbag deployed, and mention any dust or residue that got in the eye. [2, 3]

Find out what the exam found

Once the eye is rinsed, a doctor may check its surface for injury and test your vision. They may also see whether the chemical is still irritating the eye. The airbag might have caused a blunt injury or left a small object in the eye. Ask if you need to see an eye specialist, called an ophthalmologist. Find out what drops, ointment or follow up care you were given. If you’ve already left the emergency room and pain or redness won’t go away, get checked again. [1, 2]

Don't wait for your sight to get worse

Get emergency eye care if the pain gets worse or your vision turns blurry or dim. The same goes for strong sensitivity to light or trouble opening the eye. Don’t rub it. If something may have pierced the eye, don’t press on it. Tell emergency staff right away. [2, 3]

What to ask the eye doctor

  1. Did you find a chemical burn, a scratch or a deeper injury?
  2. Was my eye rinsed completely and checked again?
  3. When should the pain ease and my vision get better?

Keep your eye care details together

Store the eye clinic’s contact details with your discharge papers. Add the name of each eye medicine you were prescribed. [2, 3]

Sources and further reading

  1. 1Airbag induced chemical eye injury case report
  2. 2American Academy of Ophthalmology chemical eye injury
  3. 3NHS eye injuries first aid

General education drawn from emergency medicine and eye care. Treat a possible chemical injury to the eye as an emergency. If exposure happens, start rinsing at once and get urgent medical care.

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