Eye Care When You Need It Most

From injury to eye disease, an eye emergency is anything that poses a serious risk to your vision or eye health. An eye emergency can occur anytime, and to anyone, so it’s important to know where to go when you or a family member needs help. At Golden Triangle Optometric Center, we’re here for you when you need immediate care.

Call us if you or someone you love experiences the following symptoms:

Vision loss
Eye pain
New or severe headaches
Burning or stinging eyes
Pupils of different sizes
One eye not moving like the other
One eye bulging or sticking out
Double vision
Redness and irritation in or around the eyes
Increased sensitivity to light
Bruising around the eye
Bleeding from the eye
Blood in the sclera (whites of the eyes)
Discharge from the eye

If we’re closed and you need immediate help, please visit your closest urgent care center or emergency department.

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Common Eye Emergencies

Chemical Exposure

Chemical injury can occur when your eyes make contact with a chemical, whether solid, liquid, powder, or aerosol. Chemical exposure can happen anywhere, including the workplace and home.

Some of the most common chemicals that cause injury include:

Soaps
Disinfectants
Solvents
Cosmetics
Drain cleaners
Oven cleaners
Ammonia
Bleach
Pesticides
Fertilizers

Chemicals like ammonia, drain cleaners, and oven cleaners can cause alkaline burns. Alkaline burns are especially dangerous since they can quickly penetrate eye tissues.

If you get a chemical in your eye, immediately flush the eye with cool, clean water for at least 10 minutes, then call us.

Foreign Objects

Small foreign objects, like dust or hair, often enter the eye and rarely constitute an eye emergency. The eye’s natural defense system (like blinking and tearing) usually flushes these items out, but occasionally they can scratch the cornea. A scratch may require antibiotics to prevent infection.

Larger and sharper foreign objects, like metal or glass shards, can puncture the eye and pose a significant risk to your eyesight. Never attempt to remove sharp foreign bodies. Instead, call us for immediate help, and while waiting:

Restrict your eye movements.
Bandage or cover the injured eye with a paper cup.
Cover the uninjured eye to help prevent the injured eye from moving.

Sudden Vision Loss

Sudden vision loss can occur due to injury, eye abnormalities, or disease. It can occur in a manner of minutes or days but is always considered a medical emergency.

If you experience any degree of vision loss, please call us immediately. We can investigate the cause and hopefully prevent further vision loss.

Blunt Trauma

You can sustain a blunt eye injury when you’re struck in the face or eye. Blunt trauma can lead to various eye injuries, and damage isn’t always obvious.

Blunt trauma can cause injuries like:

Bruising and swelling (black eye)
Cuts on the eyelid or skin around the eye
Scratches on the cornea
Detached retina
Dislocated lens
Bleeding in the eye
Blowout fracture
Globe rupture

If you’ve been struck in the face, it’s essential that you see an eye care professional check for hidden injuries that could lead to long-term complications. Even seemingly minor-looking injuries can cause damage to your eye health.

Preventing Vision Loss

Although eye injuries on the job are common, you may be surprised to learn that 40% of eye injuries occur at home, and another 40% of eye injuries are related to sports and recreational activities.

Fortunately, nearly 90% of eye injuries can be prevented by simply wearing safety eyewear:

Safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and helmets can protect your eyes at work.
Shatter-proof plastic eyeglasses and proper sportswear can protect your eyes while playing sports.
A pair of simple ANSI safety glasses can protect your eyes around the home.
100% UVA and UVB filtering sunglasses can protect your eyes from the sun while outdoors.

If you have questions about protecting your eyes, whether at home, work, or play, please reach out to us at any time. We’re always here to help. And certainly don’t hesitate to call us if you or a loved one experiences an eye emergency.

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