Visit Our Emergency Eye Doctor for Urgent Treatment
If you experience an eye emergency, don’t panic! Call us at the Eye Trends office closest to you for assistance. It is not always necessary to rush to the hospital emergency room; we have cutting-edge optometric equipment in our office, and our emergency eye doctor will examine your eyes thoroughly to diagnose the problem and provide treatment. We will alleviate your painful symptoms and treat your eye emergency to prevent complications and protect your long-lasting, quality vision. We also treat children, so call us.
What is an eye emergency?
Knowing when to seek immediate medical assistance and when to self-treat or wait it out can be tricky. Typical questions include:
Do I need to visit my Houston eye doctor for pink eye or an eye infection?
I have sand in my eye, should I see a doctor?
I got hit in the face and I have a black eye. Should I go to an eye doctor?
The most common reasons to visit an eye doctor near you for emergency eye care are:
- Eye irritation, stinging/burning, or itchiness
- Redness or pink eyes
- Eye infection
- Burns to your eye or eyelid
- Contact with a chemical or foreign substance
- Sudden vision loss or blindness
- Swelling of the eye
- Extreme eye pain
- Sudden flashing lights or floaters
- New sensitivity to light
- Dark shadows gliding across your vision
- Double vision
- Large objects stuck in your eye, such as a piece of glass
- Corneal abrasion; cuts and scratches to the eye
- Extreme eye allergy symptoms
- New “floaters” in your field of vision
- Sudden changes in pupil size
Do not delay! If you experience any of these symptoms during our business hours, please call our Houston offices for assistance. Our skilled and experienced eye doctor will listen to your symptoms and inspect your eyes gently to determine the best treatment. If we diagnose a serious condition that requires surgical care or the attention of an ophthalmologist, we will refer you to a leading, local specialist.
What should I do if I have an eye emergency?
Painful vision or looking in the mirror to see puffy, bloodshot eyes staring back at you can be frightening, and most people are not certain what to do. Our Houston emergency eye doctor offers the following guidelines to help you:
Eye Bleeding
Popped blood vessels in the eye are a common injury that can result from even a light impact to your eye. Officially termed a subconjunctival hemorrhage, eye bleeding typically heals by itself with no intervention needed.
Black Eye
Most of the time a shiner looks worse than it is. Black eyes are usually due to sports or any other forceful impact to the area around your eyes. Although they generally clear up on their own, it is smart to visit your eye doctor for an eye exam when you have a black eye, just to confirm that there is no other ocular damage or internal swelling.
Corneal Scratches
A severe corneal abrasion has the potential to lead to long-term eye complications. However, most small scratches heal fine under the supervision of an eye doctor. The primary concern is infection, which you can help to avoid by not rubbing or touching your eye. If the pain does not clear up within a few hours, our Houston optometrist recommends to visit for an eye exam.
Chemical Burn to the Eye
This type of trauma requires immediate medical attention from an emergency eye doctor. While waiting for your ride to the closest urgent eye care center in Houston, tilt your head and flush your eyes continuously with water. If you are wearing contact lenses, try to remove them. Most chemical burns will not leave long-term damage when treated promptly, yet it is essential to visit an eye doctor as soon as possible – especially because some substances, such as alkaline-based cleaners, can cause vision loss.
Small Object Stuck in Your Eye
If a small item, such as dirt or a stray eyelash, gets stuck in your eye, you can try to remove it on your own. Take care not to rub your eyes because it can exacerbate the problem. Then follow these steps:
- Wash your hands well with soap
- Locate the object by looking in a mirror
- Blink to generate tears, which may wash the object out. (Do not rub your eye!)
- If the object is stuck behind your upper eyelid, it may help to pull your upper lid forwards and over the lower eyelid. Then roll your eye upward, which can push the object off the upper lid.
- If the object is under your lower eyelid or in the corner of your eye, use a damp cotton swab or cloth to remove it gently.
- Try to flush the object out. Fill a small glass (or eyecup, if you have one) with lukewarm water, and place your eye over the cup. While keeping your eye open, rinse it. Alternatively, you can pour lukewarm water into your eye to flush it out.
Remember- eyes are very delicate. If you try repeatedly to remove the object without success, do not persist. Our emergency eye doctor will use specialized tools and numbing eye drops in order to extract the item safely.
Eye Infection/ Pink Eye
Pink eye, also called conjunctivitis, refers to a relatively common viral or bacterial eye infection. Symptoms usually include redness, itchiness, and oozing discharge. This type of infection is contagious, so we advise you to book an eye exam as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. People who wear contact lenses are more prone to eye infections; if you suspect that you have pink eye, remove your contacts immediately and wear eyeglasses until you visit our Houston eye doctor.
If you undergo eye trauma and still feel pain a few hours afterwards, please contact our offices in Houston, Spring, The Woodlands or Conroe for assistance – and to prevent possible complications.