Urgent Care
We are ready to assist you with many of your urgent eye care needs.
We are optometrists, not ophthalmologists so we don’t do surgery or invasive eye procedures. However we can remove some foreign bodies from the ocular surface. We do have the resources for speedy treatment referrals, if in house depends on appointment availability.
In addition to such services as routine eye exams and contact lenses, we are ready to assist you with your urgent eye care needs. such as:
- red, scratchy, sore, or itchy eyes
- bacterial infections and “pink eye”
- treatment of eye allergies or burns
- removal of some foreign bodies, such as wood or metal, from the eye
If your emergency is life threatening, please call 911.
We can examine the front surface of the eye and also observe the inside the eye for infection or damage. We accommodate some eye needs such as:
- Eye infections
- Irritated, uncomfortable, or itchy eyes
- Foreign materials stuck in the eyes
- Lost or broken contact lenses or glasses
- Light flashes in the vision
- Floaters in the vision
- Red, painful or sore eyes
- Dislodged contact lenses
- Scratched eyes
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
Studies have shown that an overwhelming number of eye care emergency room visits could have been treated by an optometrist. These ranged from foreign bodies to severe eye allergies to eye infections as the most common reasons for emergency room visits. It is not always necessary to go to an emergency room for eye emergencies.
We understand the importance of eye care when you encounter symptoms such as those listed above. These are signs that an immediate evaluation or consultation is necessary – please call us to set one up if you are experiencing an eye emergency of any kind.
Foreign Body Removal
A foreign body is something such as an eyelash, sawdust, sand, or dirt can that gets on/into the eyes. The main symptom is irritation or pain. Depending on what it is and how the injury happened, the foreign body may pierce the eye and cause serious injury or it may simply go away with no long-term problem.
The foreign object may set off an inflammatory cascade, resulting in dilation of the surrounding vessels and subsequent edema of the lids, conjunctiva, and cornea. If not removed, a foreign body can cause infection.
If anything is stuck in your eye for more than a period of a couple of hours, you must immediately cease all attempts to remove it yourself. Keep in mind that the eyes are an extremely delicate organ and any attempts to try anything extra ordinary with them can only have negative and adverse results. If the foreign body you are referring to is not bothering you too much, then you are advised to visit an eye doctor to take care of it. If not you may need to call to emergency service of your region.
If there is a foreign body in your eye, such as a piece of grit, your eye doctor may try and remove it. They will put anesthetic eye drops in your eye first, in order to numb it and prevent any pain.
If the foreign body is easy to get to, it may be possible to remove it by simply rinsing your eye with water, or by wiping it away with a cotton wool tip. However, if this is unsuccessful, your eye doctor may try and remove the foreign body by lifting it out with the tip of a small metal instrument.
The foreign body could be stuck underneath your upper eyelid, especially if you can feel something there, or you have scratches or grazes (abrasions) on the top half of the transparent outer layer of your eye (cornea). If this is the case, it may be necessary to gently turn your eyelid inside out in order to remove the foreign body.
Once the anesthetic eye drops have worn off, your eye may feel a bit uncomfortable until your abrasion heals.
Whatever is happening with your eyes or if you suffer or even suspect that a foreign body has penetrated the outer eye layer better go without delay to the nearest treatment center. Doing nothing can lead to loss of vision, premature cataracts and damage to the retina so do not take any chances, delay is dangerous.