Eye Emergencies
Eye Emergencies Require Immediate Care.
In Case of an Eye Emergency…
Visit Us in Mount Forest for Prompt Diagnosis & Treatment or call us at (519) 323-1715 during regular business hours. After hours, please visit your nearest hospital.
Eye Emergencies: How to Handle and Prevent
What exactly is an eye emergency?
Simply put, any situation where your eyesight is at immediate risk is considered an eye emergency. Your eyes are not meant to feel pain – when they do, emergency eye care is necessary. Remember, the eyes are our most exposed (and delicate) organ- care should always be taken to ensure their health.
Examples of eye emergencies:
- Getting a caustic chemical, such as a cleaning product, in the eye
- Chemically burning the eye (with said cleaning product)
- Getting something sharp lodged in the eye (such as a piece of glass)
- Serious physical damage to the eye (such as taking a baseball to the eye)
- Significant eye pain that has developed over the last few hours
- Sudden sensitivity to light (photophobia)
Providing Emergency Eye Care
Our optometry office is equipped with the latest diagnostic equipment available today. Short of performing surgery, we can provide nearly every eye-related service needed to determine the cause of your emergency and render appropriate emergency eye care treatment.
Should You See an Optometrist or Your Doctor?
For most cases, our optometry practice will offer a much shorter wait time to receive emergency eye care compared to a walk-in clinic or hospital. However, our facility is not equipped to perform surgery. We advise all patients to call us prior to arriving to ensure that your situation is appropriate for us to treat – we will direct you to the proper care as needed.
How to handle an eye emergency
If you believe that you require immediate assistance, please call us at 519-323-1715 during regular business hours. After hours, please visit your nearest hospital.
How To Rinse Your Eye/Perform An Eyewash
- If you get a foreign body (such as dirt or metal shavings) or a chemical in your eye, an eye wash should be performed immediately.
- If you have an eyewash station or bottle nearby, use it exactly as directed. If not, you can rinse your eye at home using cool, clean water or sterile contact lens solution. Never use dirty water or any other type of fluid to rinse your eye.
- Tilt your head back (so you are staring at the ceiling) and gently rinse your eye. Hold your eye open as needed, and again, gently pour water into the eye. Blink every now and then (unless it is painful).
- Repeat this process for at least 10 minutes. Once done, see a medical professional (either us or a medical doctor) as soon as possible.
Prevent Eye Emergencies With Protective Eyewear
The vast majority of emergencies can be avoided by a simple pair of safety glasses. Safety eyewear that is shatter resistant will prevent most debris, sparks, and other hazards from actually reaching your eye.
Note that eyeglasses/sunglasses are not sufficient replacements for safety eyewear as their lenses do not meet the designated shatter resistance that safety eyewear must adhere to. Should your glasses take an impact, such as a rock hitting them after being struck by a lawn mower, the lens will likely shatter and cause additional damage.
Mount Forest Vision Care
Your convenient, one-stop location, for all of your eye care needs.
