Have you ever accidentally got spray paint in your eyes, or wondered what would happen if this occurred? Eyes are immensely sensitive organs and you never want to introduce foreign substances to them, so it’s important to wear protection any time you are using spray paint – as even a small amount could be damaging. Put on goggles or safety glasses to keep the paint away from your eyes, especially if you are working in windy conditions where the droplets are likely to get blown about.
Spray paint is not something that you want to get in your eyes, as many kinds will cause a negative reaction and irritate your eyes, causing wateriness, itching, or worse. You should always take care when using spray paint, especially if you don’t know what chemicals have been used in the paint. Being cautious could save you a trip to ER, a lot of time, money, stress, and potentially pain!
If you have got spray paint in your eye, you should wash it out and consult a medical professional as soon as possible to get further advice. Even if you aren’t having a major reaction, it’s best to be careful and seek a medical opinion so you know how much damage is likely to have been caused, or what else you should do. Take the spray paint with you if this happens so the doctor can assess the ingredients.
Can Spray Paint Damage Eyes?
Spray paint certainly can damage your eyes, as it is likely to contain dangerous chemicals, oils, latex, and more, and none of these are things that you want to have in contact with your eyeball. You should treat spray paint as a dangerous chemical and keep it out of your eyes at all times by wearing some appropriate goggles or glasses. It could cause burns, cornea damage, vision loss, blindness, cataracts, or more.
Many people do find that spray paint doesn’t cause damage because it won’t stick to your eyeball, and you may find that you can get it out by thoroughly washing your eye with cool water – but this is not a signal that you should treat spray paint as safe. Although there is no guarantee that it will damage your vision, getting it in your eyes is a very bad idea.
Some people find that spray paint causes a burning sensation when they get it into their eyes, and this is an indication that some chemical in the paint is reacting with your eye. You may also notice redness, inflammation, swelling, soreness when you move your eye, and other issues, depending on the ingredients and how they interact with your body chemistry. All of these are signs that you should consult with a medical professional as soon as you can.
What Happens If You Get Spray In Your Eyes?
You will likely find that spray paint causes your eyes to burn and water, and you may desperately want to rub them. You need to make sure you don’t do this, however instinctive it is, as this could increase the surface contact between the paint and your eyeballs, and may spread it around to more areas. This could cause more pain and itchiness, and might do more damage.
Getting spray paint in your eyes may or may not result in long-term effects, and this will depend on how prolonged the exposure to the paint is and what kinds of chemicals have been used in the paint. However, even if you think that the paint is safe and unlikely to have harmful ingredients, treat it as a dangerous chemical and take it seriously if you get any in your eyes.
Getting spray paint in your eyes could cause blindness or foggy vision, and this will not necessarily heal with time – although sometimes it will. Be aware of this whenever you are working with spray paint, and take steps to protect yourself and minimize the risks.
What Should You Do If You Get Spray Paint In Your Eyes?
If you get spray paint in your eyes, you may find that you are able to wash it out by thoroughly splashing your eye with cool water for around 15 minutes, and this will hopefully remove all traces of the paint, as it will not stick to your eye. The surface is wet and the paint will cling to the surface tension there, rather than soaking in. However, you may find that it’s hard to get all of the paint out of your eyes, and sometimes a clean, soft, damp cloth will help; you can use it to gently wipe at the corners and edges of your eyes, trying to pull the paint off the surface.
You must make sure that you do not leave spray paint in your eyes for any longer than is necessary; although you should plan a trip to the ER, you may wish to wash your eyes out before this, because it will minimize the amount of time that the paint chemicals have to interact with your eyeball.
Remember that spray paint can cause long-term damage to your eye and the faster you can get it out, the less likely it is to result in a permanent issue. If you do not wash spray paint out of your eye, it may start to affect your vision, and could cause serious pain and other visual problems. Prioritize getting the paint out and then seeing a medical professional as soon as possible.
Should You Have A Checkup With An Optometrist If You Get Spray Paint In Your Eyes?
You certainly should have a checkup with an optometrist if you get spray paint in your eyes; they will be able to assess the damage most accurately and determine what the right course of action is. Optometrists specialize in the treatment of the eye, so they should be able to tell you how bad the injuries are and what you need to do to heal them. This will likely involve examining your eyes to assess any inflammation, scarring, or other damage, and then drawing up a plan of action, which may involve taking certain kinds of medication.
You may wish to go to the ER before an optometrist if you are unable to get an emergency appointment with an optometrist, particularly if you still have paint in your eyes. However, an optometrist is likely to be better positioned to give long term treatment plans, because they specialize in eye care.
This is therefore the best option for any damage that has been done by the paint, so don’t neglect it. Get the earliest appointment you can with your local optometrist, and explain the issue so that you are seen quickly. This maximizes the chances of them being able to help and you making a full recovery.
What Spray Painting Eye Protection Can Prevent Spray Paint From Getting In Your Eyes?
Whenever you are spray painting, you should be wearing protection for both your eyes and your mouth, even if you don’t expect the paint to get blown into your face; it doesn’t take much for an accident to happen. Wear a mask and proper goggles designed for spray painting at all times, and put these back on before every spray – even if you only plan to do a little bit of painting. If you don’t have the proper safety equipment for painting, make sure you purchase it before starting a project, as protecting your eyes and lungs is critical.
Your safety goggles should wrap around all parts of your face, forming a barrier between the outside air and your eyes in all directions. Because spray paint forms such tiny particles in the air, you don’t want to risk even small amounts getting into your eyes, so full, wrap-around protection is necessary. Make sure that it fits your face comfortably and won’t fall off as you move around, or slip down your nose and leave your eyes exposed.
This is particularly important if you are going to be painting in a windy space, but even indoors, droplets of paint will fly around, and if you wear glasses, you’ll soon see how much your eyes would otherwise be exposed to. When painting a ceiling, many drops will fly from the ceiling and onto your face, landing in your eyes, nose, mouth, and hair if you don’t wear appropriate protection.
Conclusion
Getting spray paint in your eyes is an issue that everyone should look to avoid, and whether you are a hobbyist or a professional decorator, you need to make sure that you are always wearing appropriate protection to keep yourself safe. If you do get paint in your eyes by mistake, you should wash them out very thoroughly with cool water for about 15 minutes, and then contact a medical professional – whether that’s the ER or your local optometrist. If you can’t go to your optometrist straight away after the incident, make a follow-up appointment so that they can assess whether any damage has been done, and suggest treatment options if necessary.