Here's what you should be doing when you get a black eye

Have you ever been going through life and been fortunate enough to get caught just right in the eye by something, and pretty soon you notice black, blue and purple colors appearing? Now you have to field awkward questions about a black eye, and your answer is something blasé like, "A dish fell out of the cupboard."

To help get rid of a black eye quickly, you can help your body out by doing just a handful of things. Below are 6 simple ways to help your body heal a shiner quickly.

1. Ice. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one of the first things you want to do is apply ice to the area to help reduce the swelling. Be sure to wrap the ice or cold item in a cloth so that it doesn't come in direct contact with the skin. If an ice pack isn't readily available, frozen vegetables, cucumber slices or chilled tea bags are great options. Although television loves to use raw meat, you should never apply it to your face because of the bacteria involved. Apply the ice for 15 to 20 minute stretches every hour over the first one to two days.

2. Heat. Once you get passed the first two days, WebMD says you should apply heat to encourage healthy blood flow and rapid healing.

3. Pain killer. If the discomfort is too much, Medical News Today recommends taking acetaminophen. Avoid ibuprofen and aspirin as they're blood thinners and can cause you to bleed more under the skin.

4. Arnica. If you're bothered by the discoloration, the NLDA says that some arnica gel is great for helping get rid of the black eye quickly. Rub it on around the eye a couple times a day.

5. Massage. Men's Health takes an unusual approach by recommending that you lightly rub the bruise. This is supposed to help increase the blood flow to the area, allowing it to heal more quickly.

6. Make-up. If you're really desperate to cover the black eye, Men's Health says to dip into the make-up. You need to know what you're doing, though, or you'll make the color look worse. Read up online or have someone who understands make-up show you how to apply the different layers.

The sooner the black eye heals, the sooner the awkward questions go away. You can go back to not feeling self-conscious any more.