Optometrists are eye doctors who can help you see clearly. However, they also handle most eye emergencies and provide urgent care for your eyes. Keep reading to find out what constitutes an eye emergency.

Common Eye Emergencies

Eye emergencies require immediate attention and treatment to prevent vision loss or permanent eye damage. Common eye emergencies are:

• Foreign body: This is when something gets into your eye and causes irritation, infection, or injury. It can be anything from tiny particles to larger objects.
   

• Chemical burn: This is when a harmful substance encounters your eye and causes burning, swelling, or inflammation. It can be anything from household cleaners, cosmetics, or pesticides to acids, alkalis, or solvents.
   

• Trauma: This is when your eye suffers a blunt force injury or a penetrating wound from an accident, a fall, or a fight. It can bleed, bruise, swell, or rupture your eye or eyelid.
   

• Infection: This is when your eye gets infected by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. It can cause redness, discharge, pain, or inflammation of your eye or eyelid.
   

• Acute glaucoma: This is when the pressure inside your eye suddenly rises and causes severe pain, headache, nausea, or blurred vision. It can harm your optic nerve and make you blind if you do not get help fast.

What to Do if You Have an Eye Emergency

You should call your optometrist right away. The optometrist will tell you what to do once you mention your symptoms. Your optometrist may give you tips on looking after your eye at home until you can visit them for a checkup and treatment. Don’t wait if you feel a lot of pain or have any other severe symptoms; go to an emergency room right away.

What to Avoid

You should always ask your optometrist before you do anything for your eye emergency. Stay away from home remedies or over-the-counter drugs. Those may make your problem even worse. You should leave the affected eye alone and not touch, rub, or press it. Also, unless your optometrist suggests otherwise, do not take out anything that is in your eye.

How Optometrists Can Help with Eye Emergencies

Optometrists have the equipment and expertise to:

• Examine your eye thoroughly and diagnose the cause of your problem.
   

• Remove any foreign body or substance from your eye safely and gently.
   

• Prescribe medications such as antibiotics, steroids, or painkillers to treat infections, inflammation, or pain.
   

• Perform minor procedures such as irrigation, drainage, or suturing to treat wounds or injuries.
   

• Monitor your recovery and follow up with you regularly.
   

• Educate you on how to prevent future eye emergencies and protect your vision.

Conclusion

Eye emergencies can be frightening and dangerous. But you do not have to worry. You can trust your optometrist to help you with your eye emergency and save your sight.

For more information on what to do when having an eye emergency, consult East Vancouver Eye at our Vancouver, Washington, office. Call (360) 449-3937 to schedule an appointment today.