By Dr. Rica McRoy, and Dr. Alana Coker R City Eye Care
What should you do in the case of an eye emergency? What even qualifies as an eye emergency? These can be some tricky questions, but we are here to help!
A few of the more common symptoms that require urgent treatment are sudden blurred vision or vision loss, new onset of flashes of light or floaters, a red and painful eye, and a foreign body in the eye, especially if it was a projectile. In most cases, your optometrist can care for your eye emergency. Whether we are able to treat your problem or refer you to a specialist, we are a great first line for any of your eye problems.
During normal business hours, you can call and talk to our staff, and they will offer you a same day appointment to be seen. What many people do not know is that we are also available outside normal business hours for emergencies. When you call our office after hours, simply follow the prompt for a true eye emergency, and leave a message. One of our doctors will return your call shortly and determine when you should be seen. They are able to meet you at the office and take care of your eye emergency even on evenings and weekends. This is a much better alternative than waiting for hours at an Emergency Department and incurring significant fees that are associated with hospital-based emergency care.
What can you do to lessen the chances of having an eye emergency? Well, one of the simplest ways is to wear eye protection while doing yard work or working with any type of machinery. Also, if you wear contact lenses, be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations for disinfecting and removing lenses, as well as the schedule recommended for replacing your contact lenses. Additionally, maintaining regular, preventative eye and health care can identify any systemic or eye-specific abnormalities that have the potential to lead to problems in the future. In most cases, a yearly comprehensive eye examination and yearly physical can identify these issues, but your optometrist or primary care doctor will make the best recommendation on how often you should be seen.
We are here to help you, whether you need general or emergency eye care. Let’s see better together!
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