Eye Emergencies

Our office is equipped to help with many eye care urgencies & emergencies.  Below are a list of a few common situations where it would be appropriate to call our office.

-  Eye infections

-  Redness or "pink eye"

-  Mucous discharge

-  Excessive watering

-  Significant stinging / burning

-  Severe pain / pressure in or around an eye

-  New double vision

-  New vision loss

-  New distortions to vision (straight lines appearing wavy)

-  Sudden onset of flashes of light

-  Sudden onset of many floaters (dark spots) in vision

-  Foreign objects (most commonly from metal grinding / cutting)

-  Dirt / debris / sand in eye causing discomfort

-  Chemical exposures / burns of the eye

-  Abrasions or cuts to the eye

-  Eyelid swelling or pain in eyelids

-  Pupils of unequal size

-  New intense light sensitivity

-  New eye turn (one eye turning in / out / up / down)

-  Blood in or around the eye

-  Severe itching of the eye

What to do in certain eye care emergencies:

With chemical exposures to the eye - flush the eye with clean water.  The more toxic the chemical, the longer you should flush the eye (possibly 10-15 minutes if exposed to really harsh chemicals).  Wash away any chemicals from your face, hands, etc.  Then call our office to be seen as soon as possible.

With any foreign objects in the eye - do not rub your eye / eyelid - this almost always makes the situation worse.  Try flushing the eye with artificial tears (or with clean water as a back up option).  If blinking seems to be making the situation worse - close that eye, put a patch over it or tape it closed and give our office a call immediately.  Metallic foreign bodies should be removed as soon as possible - rust can start forming quickly from some metals. 

Penetrating injuries to the eye or eyelid - this is a very serious injury to the eye and is a situation that should go the emergency room or an ophthalmic surgeons office ASAP.  If a large object is stuck in your eye, do not try to remove it (this often causes greater damage) - stabilize it as much as possible and get to an emergency room.