Emergency Eye Care
Eye emergencies happen all the time and should be treated immediately. They may include eye trauma, foreign objects in the eye, chemical exposure to the eyes, or ocular infections.
Emergency eye care can be an effective way to prevent permanent vision loss. It can also help with quick relief from discomfort and swelling.
Foreign Objects
Whether it is a small piece of grit or a large metal shard, anything that gets in your eye (medically referred to as a foreign object) could cause an eye emergency. It could scratch or pierce the cornea and cause serious injury, or it may simply irritate the eye.
While most foreign objects that get in the eye can be removed at home, there are times when you may need to visit an emergency room or urgent care center to have the item safely removed. You should also be sure to follow up with your optometrist or ophthalmologist after the foreign object is removed so that they can see how you are doing and make sure that the foreign object is out of your eye completely.
First, use an anesthetic to numb the area to safely remove a foreign object from the eye. This will allow the doctor to easily remove it and prevent any pain or discomfort that you might experience. Then, rinse the eye with water as well as a cotton swab or tissue to get rid of any remaining foreign objects. A great read
Eye Bleeding
You’ll know you need to see an eye doctor if you notice blood coming from your eyes, especially if you also experience pain. If you don’t get medical care quickly, the bleeding may spread to other areas of your eye and cause permanent damage, like blindness.
A common type of eye bleed is called subconjunctival hemorrhage (SCH), which usually goes away on its own in about 1 week. However, if it’s due to a hyphema or another more serious problem, your doctor may prescribe medications or surgery to treat the issue.
For example, a retinal tear, which occurs when a blood vessel breaks in the back of your eye, could cause floaters and flashes in your vision. Or, a vitreous hemorrhage (the liquid that fills the front of your eye) might appear.
If you have a foreign object stuck in your eye, avoid rubbing it out by letting your tears wash it out or by using a saline solution to irrigate it. A forceful stream from a saline bottle directed at the foreign particle might dislodge it, but if it doesn’t, you should contact your doctor right away for treatment.
Other eye emergencies include a corneal abrasion, which results from a scratch on the cornea, the clear outer layer of your eye. It can cause redness, itching, blurry vision, and pain, and needs immediate attention to prevent further problems. In addition, sudden or severe changes in your vision should be evaluated by your eye doctor, as they can indicate a retinal tear or vitreous hemorrhage that can lead to complete or partial blindness. Browse around this site
Traumatic Iritis
Traumatic iritis occurs when the iris, the colored part of your eye, gets inflamed. It may occur after a blunt force injury to your eye (such as a penetrating injury or chemical burn), an explosion near your eyes, or the jarring of your head during an accident.
Symptoms include eye pain, severe redness, and blurred vision in the affected eye. If left untreated, traumatic iritis can lead to permanent damage and loss of sight.
The inflammation that causes traumatic iritis is a result of the body’s immune system attacking cells in your eye. It also causes your aqueous fluid to thicken. This makes it more difficult for your eyes to open, which can increase pressure and cause a condition called glaucoma.
If your aqueous fluid clears up, the inflammation will likely disappear within a week or so. If it doesn’t, you might need to use steroid eye drops every day until the inflammation goes away.
Treatment for traumatic iritis includes applying topical corticosteroids and cycloplegic dilating eye drops, both of which will reduce inflammation. You may need to see your doctor daily until the inflammation is gone because the blood that is leaking out of your eye can become a serious complication.
Other signs of traumatic iritis include floaters, and small specks that appear in the field of vision. They don’t indicate a problem with the iris itself, but they can cause increased eye pressure that can lead to glaucoma. These symptoms can be hard to spot, but your emergency doctor will have the right tools to identify them and get you the care you need.
Chemical Exposure
A chemical injury to the eye can occur when a liquid, powder, or aerosol spray comes into contact with the eyes. It can happen at home, in the workplace, or in the garden.
Injuries caused by chemicals can range from pain and redness to disfiguring scarring, loss of vision, or blindness. These injuries can also be life-threatening, so it is important to get them treated as quickly as possible.
Substances that have a high pH (between 7-14) can cause alkali burns, the most severe type of chemical damage to the eye. These include substances that you may have at home like fertilizers, drain cleaners (lye), oven cleaners, and plaster or cement (lime).
The main goal of treatment is to restore the physiologic pH of the eye as soon as possible. Rinsing with water, neutralizing solutions, or specific medications can help reverse the corrosive agent's damaging effects and promote ocular surface healing.
Acid burns are less serious but can still cause pain, redness, and irritation. They are more common than alkali burns because they don't penetrate the surface of the eye as quickly.
Symptoms vary by the type of chemical that caused the burn and the amount that was absorbed into the eye. Some chemicals cause only surface damage and no vision loss, while others can lead to cataracts or glaucoma that require surgery later.
If you or someone you know has suffered an eye injury, call VisualEyes Optique right away. We will immediately get you in touch with a doctor who can provide emergency eye care. In addition, we can provide information on how to care for the eye at home, which can reduce long-term ocular damage and preserve your vision.
Hyphema
A hyphema occurs when blood accumulates in the space between the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye) and the iris (the colored part of the eye). Hyphemas are most often caused by blunt trauma. They can also occur as a result of surgery or in the presence of blood dyscrasias, blood clots, and other medical problems that can affect the eye.
While most hyphemas are relatively mild and require no treatment, some can lead to long-term vision problems. In the most severe cases, blood clots can cause damage to the cornea and optic nerve. In these situations, your doctor may need to perform a procedure called a vitrectomy, which involves removing the blood from your eye.
Your doctor will do a number of tests to determine if you have a hyphema and what type it is. These include tonometry, a pressure test that measures the level of eye pressure, and a slit lamp exam.
The tests will help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis of your hyphema and determine whether the bleed was caused by trauma or another condition that raises the risk of eye injury. They will then recommend treatment to help reduce swelling, inflammation, and recurrent bleeding.
If you have a hyphema, see your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you get it treated, the better chance you have of recovering your lost vision.
Your ophthalmologist will prescribe eye drops to promote blood clearing, lower intraocular pressure and minimize recurrent bleeding. You should also attend all follow-up visits your doctor recommends to monitor the health of your eye and ensure the hyphema has not caused other damage. The risk of increased eye pressure and glaucoma increases even years after a traumatic hyphema, so it is important to have regular routine exams.
