Eye Emergencies: Types, Symptoms, and Prevention

Your eyes are vital in performing daily activities. They should be well-cared for and protected at all times. If your eyes do incur sudden harm, it should be taken seriously and addressed immediately. Eye emergencies can happen at any time, anywhere. You should always be prepared for them. If you want to know more about eye emergencies, let’s discuss their types and symptoms, as well as how to prevent them.

 

Types

You need to know what constitutes an eye emergency so that when it does happen, you’ll know that you must seek emergency eye care.
 

· Getting your eyes burned with chemicals is a type of eye emergency. You may have been sprayed unintentionally, or you may have transferred chemicals from your hands to your eyes accidentally. The pain is usually unbearable, and the damage may be permanent.
 

· Any foreign object that enters your eye must be handled quickly. Some particles usually leave your eyes on their own, pushed out by your tears. Others need some mild flushing. More complicated foreign bodies require more attention from an eye care specialist.
 

· Losing your ability to see is an emergency as well. The vision loss may be complete or partial. Both should be seen by your eye doctor right away.
 

· When blood comes out of your eye, it’s an urgent matter. Any type of injury to your eye that results in bleeding is something that should be evaluated by your eye doctor.

 

Symptoms

Certain symptoms can tell you that what just happened to the eye is in dire need of care. For example, bruising around your eye is an urgent eye care matter if you don’t know its cause. There could be damage to the blood vessels that sustain your eye or to some tissue supporting your eye.
 

Discharge or bleeding from your eyes, accompanied by pain, indicates significant injury inside them. There might have been something that penetrated the cornea, resulting in subconjunctival bleeding.
 

If you have constant headaches that medications cannot relieve anymore, you must see an eye doctor right away. Studies show that this incessant pain may be caused by increased intraocular pressure.
 

Burning and stinging are sensations in your eye that should be tended to without delay. The eye doctor should evaluate your visual acuity.
 

Finally, another symptom of eye emergencies is light sensitivity. Be sure to seek the help of an eye doctor as soon as you can.

Prevention

Keeping yourself safe from experiencing eye emergencies is easy. Just observe these tested methods.
 

· Be careful when you open bottles of carbonated or fermented drinks.
 

· Wash your hands thoroughly to keep debris and pathogens from reaching your eyes.
 

· Do not light fireworks if you’re uncertain about how to do it.
 

· Put on protective goggles or glasses when you play sports, do construction, or handle chemicals.

 

Eye emergencies should not be taken lightly. You should seek the help of an eye specialist and not the local emergency room. At Primary Eye Care, we can provide a detailed assessment of your eye emergency and provide the proper urgent eye care techniques for it. You can call us at 662-200-9842, for emergencies, appointments, and inquiries. Please go to our clinic in Tupelo, Mississippi, for urgent care or a walk-in consultation.