Emergency care for eye symptoms can protect the future of your vision. Without proper treatment, an eye emergency can result in damage to the eye or partial vision loss. Delaying treatment for certain eye symptoms may result in permanent blindness.
Eye emergencies can happen suddenly or occur over time, and reach a critical point. When are your symptoms severe enough to see a doctor ASAP? Read on as our experts at McDonald Eye Care Associates discuss how to know when you need immediate eye care.
Sudden change in vision
You know your eyes; you use them to see the world around you each day. You should never ignore a sudden change in your vision, because it could be a sign of a serious problem. A sudden change in vision can range from blurriness and cloudiness to trouble seeing objects that are far away, or even seeing flashing lights.
A wide range of conditions can cause a sudden change in vision. Other conditions can cause a gradual change in vision. If you notice that things look different, contact us immediately. Tell your doctor if you have conditions that can put your eyes at risk, such as diabetes.
Eye pain
Whether you experience dull, sharp, burning, or stabbing sensations, eye pain is a major reason to seek immediate eye care. The pain may be in or around your eyes. Ocular pain comes in many forms but should always be considered a serious reason to see your doctor.
Abrasions to the cornea and eye ulcers are just a couple of reasons to see us for an evaluation so we can get to the bottom of your eye pain. Waiting can have major consequences.
Eye injury
Even if you think your eye injury is minor, you should have one of our highly experienced optometrists at McDonald Eye Care evaluate you immediately. Left untreated, something that seems as insignificant as a small abrasion to your eye can turn into a major problem. Any scratches to your eye are at risk for complications such as infection and can cause serious harm in a short period of time. Waiting even 24 hours can put your eyes at risk unnecessarily.
If you know that something has scratched your eye, avoid rubbing your eye and contact us immediately. Early treatment helps ensure the best outcome.
Foreign objects in your eye
At McDonald Eye Care Associates, we pride ourselves in providing high-quality emergency eye care. We commonly help patients with objects in their eyes. Contact us immediately if any foreign object penetrates your eye. Even if you don’t feel pain, it doesn’t mean that your eye hasn’t sustained any damage.
If the object remains in your eye, get help immediately. You could cause more damage trying to remove the object yourself.
An urgent eye evaluation can detect objects that are too small for you to see with the naked eye. Objects such as tiny specks of metal can become embedded in the surface of your eye. Your eye doctor can detect and remove foreign bodies to prevent further damage to your eyes.
Exposure to chemicals
It can happen in the blink of an eye; you’re unexpectedly splashed with or sprayed with a substance that can cause serious injury to your eye. Contact us immediately, even if the substance doesn’t cause your eye to burn or sting.
Some substances can cause serious harm but may not seem so and may not cause immediate pain. If you’re splashed in the eye, place your head under a gentle stream of lukewarm sanitary water for roughly 10 minutes and call your eye doctor immediately.
We’ve discussed a few situations that warrant immediate care. If you experience an eye emergency, contact your eye doctor for advice. In certain extreme situations it may be better to get to a hospital immediately, without taking time to call anyone.
McDonald Eye Care Associates, a multi-generational family practice, has been providing the highest quality of vision care to residents throughout the greater Lakeville, Minnesota, area for 30 years. Treating patients of all ages, McDonald Eye Care combines old-fashioned personalized attention with the latest technology available. For all your vision needs, schedule an appointment through online booking now or call the office.