Emergency Eye Exams: Addressing Urgent Vision Care Needs
Patients in the greater Nashville have placed their trust in Dr. Walter Choate and Dr.Lauren Goldsmith because they always make patient wellness their first priority. Our team is able to handle various vision care needs, including the crafting of corrective lenses and the diagnosis and treatment of various eye conditions. The topic of eye care emergencies has popped up a fair amount online and at the practice, so we'd like to address eye care emergencies in brief detail right now.
Examples of Eye Care Emergencies
Following a major accident or other sorts of incidents, the following kinds of urgent eye care emergencies may occur:
- Foreign Objects in the Eye - Little slivers or foreign objects can get lodged in the eye, causing major pain and potential injury. The same goes for chemical agents that are harmful to the eyes.
- Retinal Detachment - Major blows or trauma to the head can result in the retinas (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyes) becoming detached. Urgent care will allow for the retinas to be reattached without significant harm to your vision.
- Corneal Abrasions - Major eye injuries can result in scratches or other kinds of damage to the cornea, which is the clear, frontal portion on the surface of the eyeballs.
- Eye Infections - Pink eye and other kinds of bacterial infections are no laughing matter, and they should be treated as soon as possible to maintain vision and ensure proper eye health.
- Treating Issues with Eyelids - Injuries to the eyelids can be especially serious and can affect your vision and well as general sense of wellness.
What to Do Immediately Following an Eye Injury
If you get chemical solvents in your eyes, it's important to wash your eyes out. If this occurs at your workplace and there is an eyewash station, be sure to flush out your eyes thoroughly. If there is no eye wash station, this can be accomplished by running your eye under clean and cool tap water for roughly 15 minutes.
For foreign bodies lodged in the eye or on the eye, see if you can blink and flush the object out with your tears naturally. Flushing the eye using the methods above can be helpful if the object does not dislodge with tears.
Following an eye injury, it is imperative that you consider these following rules:
- DO NOT rub your eyes
- DO NOT apply pressure to your eyes
- DO NOT use tweezers on your eyes
- DO NOT physically attempt to dislodge the object
- DO NOT place any kinds of ointments in your eyes
Seek Medical Attention Before Seeing an Eye Care Specialist
When you have suffered a serious injury of some kind, it's important that you have any pressing or potentially life-threatening medical concerns addressed first before you meet with an eye care specialist. Saving your life takes precedent over saving your vision.
Emergency Treatments
During your emergency eye care visit, we will help address your eye care concerns carefully, making sure to act conservatively in order to help you maintain the health of your eyes and overall quality of vision in the process. Acting fast is imperative for ensuring good vision, so be sure to meet with us right away so that we can help address the eye problem that you are facing.
Speak with Our Eye Care Experts About Your Concerns
For more information about eye care emergencies and how we can help you see clearly and well again, be sure to contact our eye care and optometry center today. The entire team here at Choate Eye Associates looks forward to your visit and helping you achieve optimal eye health.