A shiner is bruising and swelling around your eye, normally brought on by a blow to the location, such as a punch or fall. It need to improve within 2 to 3 weeks.

How to reduce a shiner yourself

carefully hold an ice bag (or a bag of frozen peas covered in a fabric) to the location around your eye for about 10 to 20 minutes at a time, and repeat routinely throughout the very first 1 to 2 days
take pain relievers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for any discomfort
after the very first 2 days, carefully use a warm (not hot) heat pack or fabric to the location around your eye routinely throughout the day

Don’ t

do not take aspirin, unless recommended by a medical professional, as this can make the bruising even worse
do not press or rub the location around your eye
do not put ice straight on your skin

Urgent recommendations: Ask for an immediate GP visit or call emergency situation hotline if:

you have extreme discomfort or swelling
you have a headache that does not disappear, or blurred vision
the location around your eye is warm or dripping pus
your temperature level is really high, or you feel hot and shivery
you’re taking blood-thinning medication (such as warfarin)
you have a bleeding condition (such as haemophilia)

Non- immediate recommendations: See a GP if:

the shiner does not disappear within 3 weeks

Urgent recommendations: Go to A&E if:

there’s blood noticeable in your eye
you have an irregularly shaped student (the black dot at the centre of the eye)
you had a blow to the head and have bruising around both eyes
you have issues with your vision, such as double vision, loss of vision, seeing flashing light, halos or shadows, or discomfort when taking a look at an intense light
you can stagnate your eye