Issue 115
An all-encompassing guide to black eyes.
As much as some of us claim to like taking shots to the face, mostly we’d prefer it didn’t happen. But, if you’re going to indulge in MMA, it’s going to. No matter how good you are, at some point an opponent will breach your defences and you’ll receive a war wound similar to the one that took over Chuck Liddell’s left eye after he was knocked out by Rich Franklin at UFC 115.
On the negative side you probably lost the fight and it hurts like hell, but on the positive side women find black eyes ‘sexy’ and it’s usually just another bruise. The key word in that sentence?
‘Usually.’ So, usually a black eye is caused by small blood vessels in the face breaking and blood and other fluids collecting in the fatty tissue around the eye, and usually it should heal in under a week.
Sometimes, however, it won’t. And in that case it’s time to start hiding it with make-up. Just kidding: it’s time to see a doctor.
When you should seek professional help
If you didn’t receive a blow to the face
The ‘reverse Panda’ look can also be a sign of a skull fracture, so if you developed two black eyes out without actually taking any shots directly to the eye area, hotfoot it to hospital.
If the bone is tender
The swelling of a shiner is inevitably tender to touch, but if your area of tenderness includes the bone it suggests an eye socket or cheekbone fracture.
If you have blood in the eye itself
This is probably a subconjuctival hemorrhage that formed after a blood vessel broke just under the surface of your eye.
And it’ll probably go away in less than a fortnight. But you guessed it, ‘probably’ doesn’t mean ‘definitely’, so consult a doc.
If you can’t complete the following exercises:
A blow to the face can damage your eye’s range of movement.
Check you haven’t been affected by attempting the following eye muscle exercises. Waltz through them, and you’re fine. Experience any pain or double vision, and you’re not.
Scan the room
Sit upright with your head still. Now, moving your eyes only, glance around the room focusing on different objects (e.g. the TV, the clock) that are different distances and angles away.
Spend no more than a second on each item and keep scanning for two minutes.
Corner to corner
Relax your shoulders and sit upright. Hold your gaze in front and then look as far to the right as you can. Keeping your gaze right, look up and then look down.
Bring your eyes back to the center and then repeat this exercise looking to the left. Do four or five reps in each direction.
How to treat a black eye
The recipe for reducing swelling
> Step one: Wrap ice in a thin cloth and apply it to the area around the eye for 15 minutes of every waking hour during the 24 hours after trauma.
> Step two: Keep your head elevated while sleeping. Using two or even three pillows can help reduce swelling overnight.
> Step three: Strictly speaking you should allow the eye to completely heal before getting back to the mat. Yes, ‘it was a lucky shot’ and you want to take revenge. But grappling injured isn’t the way to do it.
The life cycle of a black eye
Your favorite wound’s color from start to finish.
> Days 1-2:
Purple: the blood rushes to the area and the swelling begins.
> Days 3-4:
Black and blue: the blood has now been absorbed and the swelling is descending, but some discolouration remains.
> Days 5-6:
Green and yellow: you’re on the home straight. Give it a couple of days and you’ll be looking ‘normal.’
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