When would I need emergency eye care?
If you or a family member experiences an injury to your eye during a sporting event or from an accident, it’s important to seek medical treatment right away to prevent further complications to your vision or your eye health. Emergency eye symptoms may include any of the following:
- Seeing flashes of light
- Seeing black spots
- Eye pain or trauma to your eye
- Seeing halos around lights
- Loss of peripheral vision
- Sudden blurred or hazy vision
- Vision loss in one eye
- Red, swollen eyelids
- Intense light sensitivity
- Difficulty seeing in the dark
As an accomplished eye surgeon, Dr. Kruger diagnoses the cause of your vision emergency and treats it effectively, while providing relief from symptoms.
What should I do if I have debris or a cut in my eye?
If you have debris in your eye that’s causing irritation, try to flush your eye with water to rinse the object away. Avoid putting over-the-counter medications or eye drops in your eye before you come to Dr. Kruger’s office.
On the other hand, if you have a cut in your eye or a puncture wound, do not flush your eye with water or anything else as you could cause further irritation. Call the office or go to the nearest emergency room. Be careful not to rub your eye in either situation, so as not to make it more painful or cause additional damage to your cornea.
How can I prevent eye emergencies?
If you work with chemicals or anything that can splash into your eyes and damage your eye health or your vision, be sure to wear appropriate eye protection at all times. Many eye injuries occur when you operate machinery, such as for construction or factory work where power tools are involved. Wearing proper protective eyewear in the workplace can significantly reduce your risk of suffering a job-related eye injury or vision loss.
Additionally, if you or your children play sports that put their eye safety in jeopardy, be sure to wear appropriate eye protection while participating in the activity. Wear sport-specific protective eyewear, such as lenses made from polycarbonate materials. Polycarbonate lenses offer the highest level of protection and can withstand the impact of a ball or other object up to 90 miles per hour.
Always take precautions to prevent eye injuries, but if you do need emergency eye care, call the office.
