Not even being on the sidelines is a bit concerting. Detached retinas or scratched corneas are a bit of a concern. If I owned Dillon, I wouldn't be happy to hear about about any games missed with the rookie breathing on his neck.
I think we need more information about the extent of Dillon's injury before we start tossing around words like detached retinas or scratched corneas. They could start a Dillon-owner panic. You are correct though, a poked eye can be very serious. I worked as a technician in the retina/ophthalmology department of a hospital during this summer to learn more about the eye and to help pay for med school. We saw a lot of young and older patients with all sorts of eye traumas. Here's a quick list of common sports-related eye injuries, so when more detail about Dillon's injury becomes public, you can be more informed.
Detached retinas: trauma is a less frequent cause of retinal detachment, which is a back of the eye issue. Certain people are predisposed to RDs. The retina is important as it is the "screen" where the image is placed. Patients may complain of “flashes of light,” a sensation “like a shade coming down over their eyes,” or visual field deficits. Surgery is usually required. Early treatment is essential, especially if the retina isn't fully detached. And if the macula (responsible for central visual field and contains the rods & cones) portion of the retina isn't detached then there is a high chance for vision to return at or near the pre-detachment level.
Corneas abrasions: scratched corneas occur often after a poke in the eye. Patients usually present with sharp pain, feeling like something is still in their eyes, light sensitivity, and slightly worse vision. We used fluoroscein stain to detect these quickly--they look like skate marks on an ice rink. Treatment includes a topical antibiotic ointment. These tend to heal quickly.
Hyphema: this is blood in the anterior (front) chamber of the eye. It usually occurs due to direct trauma. Bedrest with the head tilted up and avoiding strenous activities are usually the treatments for this injury.
Orbital blow-out fracture: orbital blow-out fractures cause pain in the inferior (lower) margin of the bone surrounding the eyeball. It can also cause a loss of inferior rectus muscle function, which results in an upward and inward gaze. Surgery usually is required to fix this issue. Since Dillon didn't have emergency surgery this injury seems very unlikely.
