At Buckeye Optometry in Marion, OH, our team of experts provides emergency eye care services to help preserve your vision and relieve any discomfort.

If you have an eye injury, don’t try to judge the severity of it. Immediately seek the professional care of an eye doctor to decrease your risk of vision loss. While some eye emergencies require a visit to the emergency room, our eye doctors are better equipped to handle situations such as eye infections and foreign objects in the eye.   

When should you get urgent eye care?   

If you have a foreign object in your eye, such as metal or wood shavings, seeking emergency eye treatment immediately will help prevent infection and vision loss. Our Marion eye doctors can safely remove objects from your eye as well as treat eye infections like conjunctivitis (pink eye).     

You should seek emergency eye care if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Burning or stinging eyes 
• One eye isn’t moving like the other eye 
• Decreased vision or double vision 
• Increased sensitivity to light 
• Blood on the white part of the eye 
• Eye discharge 
• Severe itching sensation in the eye 
• New or severe headaches 

Contact us immediately if you notice an increase in eye floaters, see flashes of light, or notice a dark curtain on the side of your vision. These are all symptoms of retinal detachment, which is an emergency situation that can be treated if caught early enough.

Steps to take during an eye emergency  

When dealing with an eye emergency, follow these steps to avoid making it worse:   

• If you get chemicals in your eyes, flush your eyes with water for 10-15 minutes, and don’t cover the affected eye.  
• If you have something in your eyes, avoid rubbing them to prevent further damage and reduce the spread of any germs, bacteria, or infections.  
• To prevent swelling around your eye after an injury, apply a cold compress. Gently apply the compress to your eyes to avoid irritation.   
• Avoid driving if you are experiencing an eye emergency or vision problems.  

After seeing an eye doctor for emergency eye care, make sure to follow the treatment plan closely and use any home remedies they suggest, such as eye drops or compresses. Treatment for eye emergencies will vary depending on the specific case, but most issues resolve quickly with proper eye care from a qualified optometrist.

In case of an eye emergency, it is essential to act quickly and seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you are currently experiencing an eye emergency, please call us immediately for an emergency eye examination at our office in Marion.