Derived from the Latin word abradĕre, the notion of abrasion is linked to the fact and consequence of fraying or wearing down through friction. In the medical field, abrasion is a concept that refers to the almost superficial wound or ulcer of the epithelium or mucosa due to trauma or a burn. Also, according to its meaning, it describes the irritating power of energetic purgatives.
The corneal abrasion, to cite a concrete example, consists of a scratch, injury or a given lesion affecting the cornea (ie, transparent surface covering the front of the eye), which can be caused by abrupt contact with a nail or a sharp object, through contact lenses or from the entry of a foreign body into the eye (such as dirt, dust or sand).
Among the most frequent symptoms experienced by a person suffering from corneal abrasion are tearing, redness of the eye, blurred vision, headache, pain when opening and closing the eyes or the sensation of having a body. strange in that eye.
Those who have these symptoms should, of course, go to a specialized health professional such as the ophthalmologist to carry out the corresponding examination and analysis. In this sense, the most common is that said doctor, in order to properly diagnose said abrasion, chooses to perform a test called fluorescent staining.
Said test consists of or is based on the use of what is a blue light, which is what makes it possible to determine the damage to said cornea, and an orange-colored ink that is called fluorescein.
Once the damage to the eye has been diagnosed, the doctor will assess the severity of the damage and, depending on it, will establish one treatment or another. Thus, for example, you can carry out the prescription of antibiotic drops or ointments of different types to reduce both inflammation and reduce the risk of scarring.
In the same way, you can also choose to put a patch on the affected person and recommend the use of sunglasses to protect the eye for a certain time. However, it must be emphasized that when it is a minor type of abrasion, it can heal on its own.
For geology, abrasion refers to a process marked by considerable wear or level of destruction caused on the Earth’s surface when external agents pull fragments of matter.
The marine abrasion, on the other hand, identifies the wear suffered by the rocks due to the mechanical action of the water, which drags accumulated particles from successive debris. This process affects the formation of abrupt coasts.
In addition to those mentioned, glacial abrasion can be cited, which is characterized by leaving the glacial beds eroded, a process that is triggered by the presence of solid materials carried by the ice. The fine grains, which are known generically with the name of glacial flour, generate a glacial polish in the bedrock.
As you may have appreciated, the concept of abrasion is closely related to that of erosion, which is based on a procedure of subtraction or wear of the bedrock from exogenous geological processes, such as the action of living beings, the wind, the water or temperature changes, etc.
