A black eye is a very common result of an injury to the face or even the head. Often a subject to jokes, it is caused when blood collects in the space around the eye, causing it to swell and darken. Hence it derives the name black eye.


  Mostly, black eyes are minor injuries and they heal on their own. Ideally, a black eye should heal in about 4 days but sometimes they signify serious injury. Despite its name, when one has a black eye, the eye is never injured.


The tissue around the eye is discolored and swollen up. It is nothing more than a bruise around the eye and like any other bruise, fades away.

The first step to treat a black eye is to check if vision has been impaired. If one eye is hurt, try shutting the other and check if you are able to look clearly. If you think you are not, consult your doctor.

Here are a few things you can try to treat the black eye:

• Ice the eye region. Close you eyes and hold some ice cubes wrapped in a clean cloth or an ice pack on the eye. Ice will help reduce the swelling and will also numb some of the pain.

• Apply to the black eye some popcorn or peas. A bag of frozen peas or frozen popcorn kernels will do. Place the pack over the eye. Even placing a wet cloth over the affected area will help.

• Clean the region up. If there are any cuts or small lacerations, clean then gently with some mild soap and water. This helps the area from becoming infected. Maintain this as a regular exercise.

• Avoid applying any pressure on the eye. There is enough trauma on the area and any more pressure will aggravate the injury. Be very gentle while cleaning when you are applying any kind of pack on the black eye.

• Do not be embarrassed by the black eye. It will be visible for a little while. Any kind of effort put into camouflaging it may make it look worse. The black eye will fade in about a week. The swelling and the color will keep fading; however, it will take at least a week and a half for it to disappear.

• Wear sunglasses. The best way to treat such injuries is to prevent it.

A black eye is painful for a while and will put you in focus among company. But it is important to remember that it is an injury and will be gone in no time.