Prepared for Your Eye Care Emergencies

Even a small accident can result in time off from work, not to mention discomfort and worry. So if the worst happens, it’s important to know where to go. We keep emergency appointments open so we can be there when you need us.

If you have an eye emergency, call us right away; we’ll do everything within our power to help. If you cannot reach us, go to your nearest emergency room.

Lakeshore in Sarnia.

Vidal in Sarnia.

Grand Bend.

Seek Immediate Help if You Experience:

Vision loss
Eye pain
Waves of flashes
A sudden influx of floaters
Tunnel vision
Visual disturbances
Warped vision
Sudden, unrelenting blurring

Common Eye Emergencies

In our decades of eye care experience, we’ve seen a lot. Here are a few of the eye emergencies we see the most and the immediate steps to take if they happen to you.

Corneal Abrasion

The corneal tissue (the part covering your iris and pupil) is very delicate, so it’s not unusual for an errant tree branch or incoming baseball to cause a corneal abrasion (scratch). If your cornea is cut, it’s vulnerable to infection.

Rinse your eye with clean water to get rid of any debris and then seek medical attention. In the meantime, avoid rubbing your eye, as it could make the scratch much worse.

Chemical Contact

Your eye isn’t designed to come into contact with anything but your own tears. If a foreign chemical makes contact with your eye, it could cause a serious problem.

As soon as it happens, find the nearest source of cool, clean water and flush your eye for at least 15 minutes. Your eye might feel better after 2 or 3 minutes of flushing, but you must keep flushing it out. Otherwise, trace amounts of chemicals could be left in the eye to cause damage. After 15 minutes of flushing, you’ll need to see a medical professional.

Object in the Eye

If there’s something actually lodged in your eye, go straight to your nearest hospital.

However, if it’s just sitting on your eye or trapped between your lid and your eye, start by flushing your eye with clean water. If the object doesn’t come out with flushing, call our office for an emergency appointment or seek medical attention at an urgent care centre or emergency department. Avoid rubbing your eye in the meantime.

Protect Your Eyes

90% of eye emergencies are completely avoidable with the right eyewear. We carry an excellent selection of sport, safety, and specialty eyewear to keep your eyes safe and seeing clearly. Please visit us today and ask what specialty eyewear options we have for you.

Other Eye Emergencies

Not all eye emergencies are caused by an accident or injury. If you are experiencing unusual visual symptoms, you need to be assessed by an eye doctor.