WHAT IS CONSIDERED AN EYE EMERGENCY?
If something is wrong with your eye, you must know if treatment can wait or is needed urgently. The American Academy of Ophthalmology strongly suggests increasing one’s awareness of what constitutes an eye emergency. That way, you will know if you must rush to the emergency eye doctor or wait for your appointment. Here are conditions that count as eye emergencies.
RETINAL DETACHMENT
You can experience retinal detachment because of aging. It can also happen after an eye injury or eye disorder. This is a severe type of eye emergency. Your retina will not be able to process incoming light
properly if the retina is not in its correct position. Immediate treatment is necessary for retinal detachment. This can prevent permanent blindness.
ORBITAL CELLULITIS
This rare eye condition is also an eye emergency. A break often forms in the outer portion of the eye. The damage affects the eye socket tissues. You must get immediate treatment for orbital cellulitis because it can put your vision and life in danger. Systemic infection or eye trauma can cause this eye emergency.
ACUTE ANGLE-CLOSURE GLAUCOMA
Vision loss can happen if you do not get emergency treatment for this type of glaucoma. This condition results from a very quick rise in intraocular pressure. The buildup can damage your optic nerve and deteriorate your eyesight. The symptoms, such as severe eye pain and blurred vision, can occur suddenly.
GLOBE RUPTURE
This eye emergency occurs when the integrity of your sclera or cornea weakens. An eye trauma often causes globe rupture. A strong blow to the head or direct damage to the eye can lead to globe rupture. You will need immediate treatment for this eye emergency so that you can prevent severe infection or vision loss.
CHEMICAL INJURIES
Gardening products, cleaning products, and other strong chemicals can harm your eyes. You can experience the same thing after spraying fumes and aerosols. The prognosis is good if you get acid in
your eye. But if you have a strong alkaline in your eyes, your cornea can suffer from permanent corneal damage. Here are some of the things that you must do if this eye emergency happens:
- Remove the chemical traces on your hands by handwashing with soap and water.
- Position your head so that the injured eye is down to one side.
- Pull your eyelid open. Flush your affected eye with tap water for 15 minutes. You can do this in the
shower as well. - In case you are wearing contact lenses, remove them first.
- Go to an urgent care center or ER as soon as you can. If you can, continue to flush your eye with
water while in transit.
BLACK EYE
This eye emergency is often a result of something hitting your eye or even the area around it. The bleeding underneath the skin brings out a dark color. At first, it will turn black and blue. Then, it will turn purple, green, and then yellow. You may experience swelling as well.
In some cases, a black eye may not be as simple as bleeding underneath the skin around the eye. A severe blow that results in a skull fracture may also cause a black eye. That is why it is important to see
an eye doctor if you have a black eye. Your eye doctor will perform tests. That way, your doctor could see if there are accompanying symptoms.
Knowing if you have an eye emergency can get you the urgent care that you need. At Eye Health Consultants, we can help you regain your eye and vision health through our quality products and services. Feel free to drop by our clinic in Spring, Texas, for an in-person consultation. Call 281-419-3355 to schedule an appointment or ask about our eye emergency services.
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to our specialty eye care home. Eye Health Consultants provides patients with premium eye care and management of eye conditions such as Glaucoma, Anterior Segment Eye Disease, Pink Eye Treatment, Dry Eye Syndrome, Macular Degeneration, and Non-Surgical Vision Correction.
