Here's Glue in Your Eye

Posted: Feb 11, 2011 11:25 AM
Updated: Feb 21, 2011 12:12 PM

Eyelids stuck together with Super Glue? Relax, it won't be permanent and you should be OK with the proper care.

You may have heard the story about a woman who accidentally glued her eye shut when she mistook Super Glue for eye drops. The woman had had cataract surgery and reached for what she thought was one of a half dozen eye medications, but picked up the glue instead.

People make mistakes. This is why the poison center is here for all sorts of poisonings and accidental exposures. The call about someone gluing their eyelids together is not all that rare.

The bond formed by some glues is extremely strong. In fact, if you've used these products, you've probably gotten your fingers stuck together or stuck to whatever was being glued. Glue on your fingers is easy to fix. A small amount of nail polish remover with acetone, applied with a Q-Tip, will break the bond. (Don't try to peel the glue off - that may tear your skin.)

Obviously, you do not want to use acetone near your eyes. That could damage your eyes badly. So what to do?

Super Glue Corporation has a web page that makes recommendations for what to do to remove glue from your eyes or other places on your body. But our poison center experts hope you'll call 800-222-1222 first before taking advice from the web. We differ on the safest ways to remove the glue.

For people with glue in their eyes, we always recommend going to a healthcare facility This is the best way to avoid possible eye damage. While there are no documented cases of permanent eye damage from glue in the eye, various temporary problems may result from trying to remove the glue yourself.

Of course, the best plan is preventing the accident. Don't leave non-medicinal substances in the same locations as your eye products. At one time, strong glues were sold in containers that were nearly identical to eye drop containers. This has changed to reduce confusion, but you still need to be careful to store the glue and all other possibly toxic products far away from where you keep your medications.

If you have other poisoning concerns or question call the toll-free national hotline at 1-800-222-1222 to reach your local poison center. If you live in Arizona outside of Maricopa County, this number will get you to our experts at the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center in Tucson. Check out our website for more information.