It may feel like a gritty, annoying sensation, or a sharp pain. Either way, you may have the same problem: something is stuck in your eye and needs to come out.

Addressing the situation incorrectly can lead to bigger issues such as infection, scarring, an ulcer or corneal scratches, which are abrasions on the clear covering of your eye. Ignoring the dilemma can lead to similar consequences.

Experts explain how to handle this predicament, when it’s time to see a medical professional, and some of the most common mistakes.

What can get stuck in the eye – and what does it feel like?

As innocuous as they may seem, eyelashes are some of the most common foreign bodies to get stuck in eyes. If an eyelash ends up under an eyelid, it can be quite painful, explained Dr Douglas Lazzaro, an ophthalmologist and professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Other common examples Lazzaro encounters include dust and other small debris kicked up on a windy day and glue from attaching false eyelashes. Those working in construction may encounter flecks of industrial materials such as fiberglass, metal and wood.

Contact lenses are another frequent culprit, he said. These can roll up and hide under the upper eyelid, break in the eye, or may be forgotten and not removed before another is put in.

The feeling of having something in your eye can depend on the object, but general symptoms include burning and irritation, blurred vision, a scratchy feeling or sensitivity to bright lights.

How do you get something out of your eye?

For some small objects, like eyelashes, sand or mascara flecks, blinking and your own tears are often all you need to get them out.

But if that doesn’t work, you may need to do more. Wash your hands first and work in a well-lit area. Lazzaro recommends carefully examining your eye to locate whatever may be stuck. This may include gently pulling down your lower eyelid with clean fingers, or using a cotton-tipped swab to slowly lift your upper lid.

If the object is small and not penetrating your eye, blinking and irrigating the eye with artificial tears may flush the object out. If irrigation doesn’t work, then it’s likely best to seek professional attention, said Lazzaro.

What about liquids?

If a foreign liquid gets in your eye – such as detergents and disinfectants – you’ll want to act quickly, said Dr Keith Baratz, an ophthalmologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He recommends rinsing your eye with tap water as soon as possible.

A general rule of thumb is that liquids with a high pH (for example, bleach, ammonia and most drain cleaners) are more damaging than those with a low pH – but you should hasten to rinse your eyes with tap water regardless.

“Speed is the important thing,” said Baratz. “You want to do it right away, not wait a half hour while you drive to the emergency room.”

After you rinse the eye, you should then go to the emergency room, said Dr Avnish Deobhakta, an ophthalmologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.

“There can still be ongoing damage even if you flushed it,” he said.

When should you see an eye doctor?

Experts’ advice falls into two categories. On some occasions, you should go to the doctor to remove something from your eye. There are also times when you should go even if you have been able to remove the object.

A common mistake is assuming that something in the eye will come out on its own, said Lazzaro. According to the Mayo Clinic, avoid removing anything embedded in the eye or sticking out between the lids. Doctors have tools that make the process easier: numbing drops, magnifying devices (for instance, a slit lamp microscope) and sterile tools such as forceps or needles, which are used to dislodge particles. You should not use these tools at home, said Lazzaro.

But let’s say you removed the object and your eye still hurts. For the first 24 hours, you can continue to irrigate the eye with artificial tears, Lazzaro said. Cold compresses can also make the eye feel a little better, but don’t provide any healing benefits.

If irrigating your eye doesn’t work, and you still have “something that’s bothering you, causing vision problems, or is hard to reach”, then you “really do need to seek professional care”, said Deobhakta.

Generally, the rule is that if you don’t feel better within 24 hours – there’s still inflammation, redness, tearing or vision changes – then you should seek medical attention, said Lazzaro.

It’s possible that, when removing the object, either you caused harm or injury had already been inflicted by the object, explained Deobhakta. Another likelihood is that the injury exposed the eye to infection. A doctor can examine the wound and provide the correct aftercare, he said.

Medical care can help you avoid more than just pain; even if the foreign matter is removed, there can still be downstream effects, Lazzaro said. For example, a removed piece of wood or vegetable matter could leave behind a fungal infection. Or if a piece of metal is on the eye, rust can accumulate and become stuck to the cornea. If left untreated, this can lead to infection and scarring that can affect vision. Doctors have special instruments that brush away rust, and can follow up with an antibiotic treatment, said Lazzaro.

What are some common eye care mistakes to avoid?

Rubbing the eye is heavily discouraged, said Lazzaro. If the object is still in your eye, you can “actually rub it further into your cornea”, he said. Rubbing can introduce bacteria from your hands into the eye and can also increase inflammation.

People should not use metal tools at home, like tweezers, to remove something from the eye. This can cause further injury.

“One of the worst-case scenarios is that the individual goes to a mirror and tries to pick at the foreign object with a toothpick or tweezers,” said Deobhakta.

You also don’t want to try to use your fingers to pick something out of your eye, said Baratz, adding that “this is the number one mistake we see”.

Culprits often include people who wear contact lenses and, in turn, are used to touching their eyes, he explains. But using your fingers can increase the risk of infection and injury.

Patients who wear contact lenses also tend to leave their contacts in, even if something is irritating their eyes. Another tendency is to put contacts back in immediately after an eye injury, sid Deobhakta.

“Do not put a contact lens on an eye that is already sore,” he advises. “If it’s getting better and you feel OK, use lubricating drops and wear your glasses.”

Generally, people can underestimate the inherent danger some activities pose to their eyes, said Deobhakta. He has seen patients use their glasses instead of safety goggles during a debris-causing activity such as mowing the lawn. In this case, grass can still fly up under the glasses into the eye, or a rock could hit and break the glasses, causing injury.

“Be mindful of what you’re doing, react quickly, and don’t do something silly like trying to fix the problem yourself when something does go wrong,” he says.