you can try going to a pet store and looking for something called eye wash or eye rinse. or on amazon, something like this. I used to be a dog groomer and we'd basically use this for rinse dogs eyes after baths, to get out any soap or dirt that might have gotten in there to prevent irritation. I'm not sure if it would help, but it's inexpensive so might be worth a shot.
they also sell lubricating eye drops for dogs, basically visine for dogs. it's more expensive, but if money is tight it's probably still cheaper to try that than pay for a vet visit. things like this have good reviews on amazon, but I can't personally vouch for whether or not it'd work.
and man, you gotta go what you gotta do. I haven't been in nearly as serious situations as you have, and I still come off as either weird or an asshole because of anxiety issues.