Emergency

Emergency

Sometimes, protecting your vision will mean taking immediate action and seeking emergency eye care. Eye health emergencies can involve a number of symptoms, but getting help as soon as possible can mean the difference in retaining your vision or avoiding permanent damage.

What’s Considered an Eye Health Emergency?

A number of situations should drive you to seek care for your eyes as quickly as possible.

Object in the Eye

Foreign objects in the eye are one of the most common types of eye emergencies. This means you have a piece of debris or an object that has embedded itself into the cornea. Avoid trying to remove an embedded object on your own because doing so could lead to further problems. Avoid touching your eye and get to an eye doctor as quickly as possible for assistance.

Chemical Exposure or Burns

Chemical exposure happens when you get some type of chemical in your eye. This could occur with anything from industrial chemicals to cleaning products or aerosol sprays you use at home. Chemicals can burn your eyes and cause permanent damage, so washing the eye with clean water or at an eye wash station immediately is critical. Once you have flushed the eye, get to an emergency eye doctor as quickly as you can.

Sudden Changes in Vision

A sudden change in your visual abilities should always be treated as an emergency situation. With or without an obvious cause, a drastic difference in how well you can see can be a sign that something serious is going on with either your eyes or your body.

Trauma to the Eye or Eyelid

Trauma to the eye or eyelid may include cuts and abrasions, scratches, puncture wounds, and even blunt force to the area, as with a black eye. Any time the eye itself has been scratched or injured, it is best to visit an emergency eye doctor for an evaluation. However, eyelid trauma can also be an emergency situation, especially if the lacerations are bleeding excessively or there is extensive swelling.

Tips for First Aid for Eye Trauma

Whether you have something stuck in your eye, have sustained a chemical burn to the eye, or something else, the steps you take immediately after the event are important. A few tips that generally apply to most eye emergency situations include:

• Avoid rubbing the eye or applying pressure to the area around the affected eye
• Never try to dislodge an object that seems stuck in the eye or eyelid
• Contact an emergency eye doctor for advice as soon as possible

Are You Experiencing an Eye Health Emergency?

Big or small, an emergency with your eyes should never be disregarded. If you are experiencing a dire situation with your eyes, be sure to reach out to our eye doctor for advice as quickly as possible.