To get the best eye care in an emergency, we recommend that you have an eye health emergency plan. Eye care is essential so it’s important to have an optometrist that you see annually who can also address any eye care issues or emergencies that arise between your annual exams. Make sure your loved ones also have an eye care emergency plan for their own eye health.
As we approach winter, is important for rural Colorado communities to understand how to access eye health care while reducing emergency room visits.
Your local optometrist is prepared to treat these six common eye care emergencies. Give your optometrist a call today to ask about after-hours care in the case of a sudden eye care emergency.
Blunt Eye Trauma
• Apply a cold compress without putting pressure on the eye to reduce pain and swelling.
• Severe pain or reduced vision requires immediate care from an eye doctor. Eye Cut, Puncture, or Foreign Body to the Eye or Eyelid
• Do not attempt to remove an object from your eye or eyelid.
• Do not wash out the eye for punctures, cuts, or foreign bodies.
• Do not bandage the eye.
• Do not rub the eye.
• Protect the eye with a rigid shield, like sunglasses or the bottom half of a paper cup, and see an eye doctor immediately.
Chemical Burn of the Eye
• Flush eye(s) thoroughly with saline (preferably) or water for 15 minutes and get to an eye care professional immediately.
• For individuals with contact lenses, attempt to remove them first.
• Do not try to neutralize the chemical with another chemical or substance. Sudden Vision Changes or Loss
• Address quickly with your optometrist to avoid permanent vision loss and rule out more serious health issues like stroke, nerve damage, neurological issues, and retinal or corneal defects.
Red Eye
• Red eye with discharge needs to be examined by an optometrist as soon as possible for correct identification and treatment for the type of conjunctivitis (pink eye). Emergency rooms have a history of overprescribing antibiotics for conjunctivitis when 80% of cases are viral.
• Red eye could also indicate uveitis or ocular herpes, which can be sight-threatening making quick and proper evaluation by an eye doctor important.
Pupils are Different Sizes (pupil anisocoria)
• If you were born with this condition it is benign.
• If this is a new symptom, whether it’s constant or sporadic, schedule an exam with your optometrist as soon as possible as this could be vision-threatening.
Dr. George W. Hertneky, O.D., writes a monthly column for The Morgan County Times. He can be contacted at Hertneky Vision Source at 212 Cameron St. in Brush, 970-842-5166.
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