Some may think that administering first aid for a black from a punch is not necessary. Black eyes are believed to be a bruise from the impact of a punch. In fact, a black eye is caused by bleeding around the eye and under the skin. Depending on how hard the victim was punched, it could also indicate other severe conditions such as a skull fracture or head trauma.
While most of the time black eyes are not a serious medical issue, getting punched in the eye hard enough could cause problems with vision and the eyes; one of the most common is bleeding behind the eyeball, also known as hyphema. When this happens it can damage the cornea and can decrease vision. In some cases a significant build up of pressure behind the eye, also known as glaucoma, can occur. After suffer a black eye as a result of being punched or receiving a blow to the eye it is best to call an eye care professional to ensure that there is no significant damage to any part of the eye.
If you don’t have any First Aid Training to administer first aid for a black eye from a punch here are some important things to know. The first thing you need to do is use gentle pressure when applying an ice pack or cold pack around the eye. Using a cold pack, ice wrapped in a towel, or an ice pack wrapped in a towel are the best things to use when you do not have any frozen vegetables or meat immediately available to you. Do not put any pressure on the victim’s eye. Make sure you apply cold compresses immediately after the black eye appears to reduce swelling and continue applying cold packs for the next 24 to 48 hours after starting this treatment.
The next step is to look carefully at the eye to make sure there is no blood showing on both the colored and white parts of the eye. This can be a sign of internal bleeding, bleeding behind the eyes, head trauma, or even a skull fracture. It could also be sign of broken blood vessels behind the eye which can cause significant issues and medical problems as a result.
If you notice the victim is experiencing problems seeing, frequent headaches, dizziness, light headed, double vision, blurry vision, bleeding from the eye or through the nose, severe pain or a combination of any of these, take the victim to the emergency room as it could indicate a severe medical problem. Any eye damage is something that needs to be watched closely as one does not know if there is any other damage to the eye, the skull, or the brain as a result of the blow.
Black eyes are one of the least worrisome conditions that one can administer first aid for. While many people think that putting a bag of peas on a piece of meat on the eye will get rid of the black eye quickly, this is not always the case. Many people who have received a blow to the eye don’t think anything of it when they get a black eye from it. However, knowing how to properly administer first aid for a black eye from a punch (or a blow) to the eye or even taking a First Aid Class, the victim’s chances of experiencing severe eye damage and vision problems will decrease.