It is important to get immediate medical attention for any eye or eyelid injury. Even those eye conditions that are not due to injury require urgent medical attention. Since the eye can easily suffer serious damage, any problem, injury, or condition can cause vision problems or loss if you fail to seek immediate treatment.
Eye doctors treat different types of eye problems every day. That said, some of them are not true eye emergencies. But no matter the type of eye problem you are experiencing, it is always wise to seek treatment. Mind that if you have a true eye emergency, failure to seek immediate treatment can result in vision loss.
Eye emergencies occur any time one has a chemical or foreign object in one’s eye. They also occur when a burn or injury affects one’s eye area. If you ever experience pain, redness, or swelling in one or both of your eyes, you should seek urgent medical attention. Left untreated, eye damage can cause partial or even total loss of vision.
You need to understand that eye emergencies cover a wide range of conditions and injuries. Each ocular emergency has specific symptoms. Thus, you should contact your eye doctor if you start experiencing any of the following symptoms:
Stinging or burning sensation in your eye.
Double vision.
Sudden loss of vision.
Disproportionately sized pupils.
Sudden sensitivity to light.
When one eye is not moving like the other.
Eye irritation and redness.
Eye pain.
When your eye is bulging or sticking out.
Decreased vision.
Severe or new headaches.
Bruising around your eye.
Severe need to itch.
Bleeding from your eye.
Discharge from your eye.
Blood in the white part of your eye.
Sometimes, you may not be able to tell when you have an eye emergency. Some conditions and injuries, such as a detached retina or raised eye pressure, only become apparent when the condition worsens.
This is why it is important to have your eyes examined by an eye doctor as soon as you experience any of the symptoms listed above. Even if your eye injury or problem seems minor at first, the last thing you want to do is attempt to treat it yourself.
Some of the most common eye emergencies that could lead to partial or total loss of vision if left untreated include:
Central retinal artery occlusion.
Retinal detachment.
Orbital cellulitis.
Ruptured globe.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma.
Do not apply pressure or rub your eye, although you will experience a strong temptation to do so. If you have a foreign object stuck in your eye, do not attempt to remove it yourself.
Also, you should not put ointment or medications in your eye or use tools, such as tweezers, in your eye. If you think you have an eye injury or emergency and you wear contact lenses, do not take them out. Doing so may lead to further injury to your eye. The only exception to this rule is when you are unable to receive immediate treatment or where you suffered a chemical injury and were unable to flush out your contact lenses with water.
To learn more about some of the most common eye emergencies, visit Today’s Vision at our office in Laguna Niguel, California. You can call (949) 518-0055 today to schedule an appointment.