I used Genteal eye drops for corneal abrasion. Will I lose my vision due to scarring?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have only GenTeal eye drops that I had opened three months ago. I have been instructed to use them for a mild corneal abrasion. Is it okay to use them? They are the only ones I have in hand. Can I instead use nothing at all? If I did not lose vision at this point, can I lose vision from future scarring? Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thanks for writing in. Sorry to hear about your predicament, and I understand your concern. Any eye drop opened more than a month should be disposed of and not used beyond that period as contamination with bacteria or even fungus is possible. And given that you have been told you have a corneal abrasion, the corneal epithelium has been sloughed off, which means it is more at risk of infection. You can buy a fresh bottle of GenTeal (or any other lubricant as it is an over-the-counter medicine, and I am sure a chemist will be open on a Sunday). As for your query about scarring, it depends on the location of the defect and the depth of involvement. Abrasion means only the superficial layer is involved, which generally does not scar. You can try keeping the eye closed to aid it in healing faster if you cannot buy any eye drops for any reason. Ideally, if the abrasion is large and causing a lot of pain and discomfort, an eye patch for 12 to 24 hours is indicated, along with an antibiotic ointment. But this would require the patch to be sterile and from a chemist. If you are not in too much pain, you can leave it alone and rest. I hope this helps.