Types of Eye Emergencies
Physical trauma includes any impact to the eye or its surrounding area. These impacts can damage the eye, eyelid, and surrounding tissues of the eye. You may experience a black eye in mild cases, but more serious injuries may have symptoms of swelling, eye pain, or even bleeding.
If you’ve experienced physical trauma, you may gently apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and pain. Please call us for further assistance.
Chemical exposure could occur at work, home, or even school. If your eyes have been exposed to chemicals, like vinegar, bleach, or battery acid, immediately flush your eyes with cool, clean water for 15 minutes and seek emergency medical attention.
Rips, tears, and punctures are some of the most severe eye emergencies. If you’ve experienced an emergency like this, apply an eye shield to protect your eye from outside elements and seek immediate medical attention. For an emergency like this, we recommend visiting an emergency room.
Foreign objects could be dust, dirt, metal, wood, or any other small particle that can find itself lodged in your eye. If you’re experiencing something like this, do not rub your eyes. Instead, try blinking to help move it from your eye’s surface or flush your eyes with cool, clean water. If you’re finding no relief or your symptoms are worsening, please seek medical attention.
Many eye diseases can cause an emergency. Diseases like wet AMD and closed-angle glaucoma could cause eye pain, redness, flashes, floaters, or sudden vision loss. If you’re at risk of developing these diseases and are experiencing emergency symptoms, please seek immediate emergency assistance.
