Emergency Eye Care; How to Protect Against it

Eye emergencies can come in many different forms. Without the proper treatment, they can have damaging and lasting effects on your vision. You could even go blind! That’s why you need to be aware of the symptoms.

It’s nothing, it’ll go away on its own!

We all know that person who hates going to the doctor! This person might even be you. When it comes to your eyes, it’s just worth it to go when you think something might be wrong. It could save your sight after all. Dr. Sharma sees patients regularly who come in because their eyes just haven’t been feeling right, and after examination it appears they are having an eye emergency, like a retinal tear! In this case time is everything. Immediate treatment is necessary to save a patient’s sight. But, sometimes there isn’t anything wrong at all. Either way, we would prefer you get it checked out!

So how will I know if I am having an eye emergency?

Generally, an eye emergency will have sudden symptoms that appear or feel unusual. Here is a list of eye diseases that can potentially cause permanent vision loss, and can result in an eye emergency:

• Bacterial conjunctivitis
• Viral conjunctivitis
• Angle closure glaucoma
• Age related macular degeneration
• Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
• Retinal detachments
• Herpetic eye disease
• Ischemic optic neuropathies
• Optic neuritis
• Uveitis/Iritis
• Cranial nerve palsies

Symptoms associated with the conditions above include:

• Sudden decrease in vision
• Flashes and floaters
• Eye pain
• Red eye (s)
• Increased photosensitivity
• Unusual eye discharge
• Double vision

If you have any of the symptoms listed above please seek immediate attention. Don’t forget that keeping on top of your regular eye exams is the best way to ensure your eyes are healthy. When it comes to your eyes being proactive is the best way to protection! The earlier a problem can be detected the sooner your eye health professional can begin treatment.

If you think you need to see a family eye doctor give us a call or book online with Dr. Sharma. We would love to help you see clearly!