The patient reported feeling "something fly into her eye" but did not realize it was a bee. She attempted to rinse her eye and applied some eyedrops, which only worsened her discomfort, causing constant tearing, swelling, and intense stinging pain.
On 3/4, Doctor Huynh Thi Xuan Thao, Head of the General Ophthalmology Department at VISI Da Lat Eye Hospital, examined the patient under a microscope. She discovered a dead bee stuck directly on the surface of the patient's eyeball. The foreign object caused continuous mechanical irritation, leading to symptoms of grittiness, increased tear production, and conjunctivitis. Fortunately, the patient's corneal epithelium was not scratched or torn, and no serious intraocular complications were found.
"When a small bee, about 1-1,5 cm long, was removed, the patient was very surprised", the doctor stated.
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Image of the dead bee stuck in the patient's eye being removed by doctors. Photo: Hospital provided |
Image of the dead bee stuck in the patient's eye being removed by doctors. Photo: Hospital provided
After the bee was removed, the patient's eyeball surface was cleaned, and she received treatment to control the inflammatory response. Her stinging pain significantly decreased, eye redness reduced, the cornea became completely stable, and her vision was fully preserved.
According to Doctor Thao, the eyeball is a highly sensitive organ, easily damaged by small foreign objects like dust or insects. Many people's natural reaction when a foreign object enters their eye is to rub it, but this action inadvertently causes the object to rub forcefully, posing a high risk of corneal abrasion.
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Doctors examining a patient's eye. Photo: Hospital provided |
Doctors examining a patient's eye. Photo: Hospital provided
To handle such situations correctly, one can gently rinse the eye with clean water or a sterile physiological saline solution. Do not use eyedrops without medical instruction.
If the eye experiences persistent grittiness, stinging pain, prolonged tearing, or shows signs of swelling, redness, or decreased vision, seek timely intervention at a specialized medical facility.
Le Phuong
