Corneal foreign body injuries are fairly common. The most frequent symptoms are pain, soreness, watering and light sensitivity. Foreign body injuries frequently occur during activities like hammering and chiselling or from dust or grit blowing into the eye. If you work in a hazardous environment, always wear eye protection. During your examination anaesthetic drops will be applied to numb your eyes. A special dye will be used to help detect the foreign body and examine the extent of any abrasion. If the foreign body is superficial, a sterile cotton bud will be used to gently remove the material. Foreign bodies that are more deeply embedded into the cornea may be carefully removed using a golf spud instrument or hypodermic needle. Where metallic foreign bodies are embedded, a rust ring usually develops after a few hours. In this case, a diamond burr tip will be used to remove the rust ring. Once removed, you will be asked to use antibiotic drops or an eye patch to protect your eye. Foreign body injuries should always be examined to ensure more serious complications have not occurred.