Eye Emergency Services
Emergency Eye Care Services
- One-Hour Optical
- Dry Eye Clinic
- Same-Day Urgent Eye Care
Urgent, Same-Day Eye Care Available
Independent Optical offers same-day eye care appointments in the event of an emergency. You should seek immediate help for eye pain, swelling or redness, for example. Issues with your vision that are left untreated could lead to partial vision loss or even permanent blindness. Some symptoms of an eye emergency include:
- Bleeding from the eye
- Blood in the white part of your eye
- Bruising on or around the eye
- Contact lens-related redness or pain
- Discharge from the eye
- Double vision
- Extreme itching of or around the eye
- Eye infections or pink eye
- Eye pain
- Eye swelling or irritation
- Foreign body in the eye
- New floaters or flashes of light
- New or severe headaches
- Sensitivity to light
- Vision loss (Please note that sudden vision loss or blurring can be a symptom of a stroke. In which case, dial 911 immediately!)
Some Common Urgent Eye Conditions
Cuts to the eye or small foreign objects in the eye
A corneal abrasion, or a scratch or cut on your eye, is a common eye injury. You may not notice the effects right away, but symptoms such as watery eye, redness or blurry vision can become apparently within hours. Corneal abrasions aren't always the result of obvious physical trauma to the eye. Fine particles can cause a corneal abrasion if you rub your eye.
If you believe you have an abrasion, do NOT touch your eye or attempt to treat it yourself. Instead, call our specialists at Independent Optical immediately.
Chemicals in or around the eye
Chemical burns to the eye area are a common injury and can be caused by cleaning, garden or industrial chemicals or burns from fumes or aerosols. These often happen in a work or industrial environment. A chemical burn can cause serious damage to the eye and should be considered an immediate emergency. There are two types of chemical eye injuries:
- Alkali eye burns - These cause the most damage, as alkali chemicals penetrate the eye more easily and can damage both the inner and outer eye. Alkali chemicals can be found in many household cleaners.
- Acidic eye burns - These burns do not cause as much damage as those from alkali chemicals but can still cause severe damage. Some common household substances, such as glass cleaner or vinegar, are acidic.
Physical trauma or blow to the eye
Physical trauma to your eye can damage it, as well as the surrounding tissue and bone structure. Symptoms of such damage can include:
- Aches or pain when moving your eye
- Blood in the white (sclera) or colored (iris) parts of the eye
- Blurry vision/changes in vision
- Deformity of the eye or eye area
- Dullness or loss of feeling in and around the eye
- Eye pain
- Sensitivity to light
- Swelling
Seek Immediate Attention for Any Eye Emergency
If you are experience a life-threatening eye emergency, dial 911 for immediate medical attention. For non-life-threatening eye emergencies, call Independent Optical at (605) 206-3981 right away.
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