Eye Emergencies

Chemical splash

The one emergency where treatment starts before you call. Rinse the eye immediately with clean water for fifteen to twenty minutes, holding the lids open, under a tap or shower, and remove contact lenses during the rinse. Then call, and bring the container or its label. Alkalis, including cleaning products, cement and drain cleaner, are the most dangerous and penetrate the eye within minutes, which is why rinsing comes first.

Sudden vision loss, a curtain or shadow

Sudden painless loss of vision in one eye, a curtain or shadow spreading across the vision, or a gray veil can mean a retinal detachment, a blocked retinal artery or vein, or a hemorrhage. Each is time critical. Call immediately; do not wait to see whether it clears. If it is after hours, go to the nearest emergency department.

Flashes and a shower of floaters

A sudden onset of many floaters, particularly with flashes of light, can be a retinal tear. It should be examined the same day so that a tear can be sealed with laser, by a retina specialist, before it becomes a detachment.

Severe eye pain, headache, nausea, halos

Severe pain in one eye with a headache on that side, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision and halos around lights, especially in the evening, is the picture of acute angle-closure glaucoma. Pressure inside the eye must be lowered within hours. Call immediately or go to an emergency department.

A painful red eye in a contact lens wearer

Pain, redness, light sensitivity and blurred vision in a contact lens wearer can be a corneal infection that damages the cornea within a day. Remove the lens, do not put in leftover drops, keep the lens and case, and call (855) 456-2253 and tell us it is urgent.

Injuries

• A blow to the eye with pain, blurred vision or blood visible in the eye: call the same day; blunt trauma can bleed inside the eye and damage the retina
• Anything that has penetrated or may have penetrated the eye, including from hammering, grinding or high-speed debris: do not press or rub, do not remove an embedded object, cover the eye loosely with a shield or a paper cup, and go to an emergency department or call immediately
• A scratch or foreign body sensation: do not rub; call us right away so the foreign body can be removed and the scratch treated promptly
• A cut to the eyelid: cover with a clean dressing and be seen the same day

Sudden double vision, a drooping lid or a dilated pupil

New double vision, a drooping eyelid or an unequal pupil, especially with headache, can indicate a neurological cause and is assessed urgently, usually in an emergency department.

After hours

Call (855) 456-2253 and tell us it is urgent; for severe symptoms or after hours, go to the nearest emergency department. For a penetrating injury, a head injury, or a chemical splash that continues to hurt after rinsing, go straight to the emergency department.