Emergency Eye Care | Experts on Sight

Prioritizing Your Eye Health

At Experts on Sight, we recognize that eye emergencies can occur at any time with little to no warning. Our team prioritizes your eye health and vision—we assess, diagnose, and treat your eye emergencies.

If you are experiencing an eye emergency, please don’t hesitate to contact us for urgent eye care.

Recognizing Eye Emergencies

Eye emergencies can range from surface injuries to infections. They can include chemical injuries, sudden flashes and floaters, foreign objects in the eye, and punctures and scratches.

Common eye emergency signs and symptoms may include:

Sudden loss of vision
Bleeding from the eye
Double vision
Discharge from the eye
New or severe headaches
Light sensitivity
Eye bulging

These are just some things to look out for, but signs and symptoms can vary. Eye injuries can happen anytime, so it’s crucial to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you experience any symptoms affecting your eyes and vision.

An Exploration of Eye Emergencies

Understanding different types of eye emergencies can help our patients treat their emergency in the moment before being able to visit us at our Gilbert and Mesa locations for emergency eye care.

Flashes & Floaters

Sudden flashes and floaters can be a sign of an eye emergency, indicating something is wrong with your vision. As you age, occasional flashes and floaters may become more common. Still, your eye doctor should examine any new random occurrences.

Flashes can appear as flashing lights or lightning streaks in your field of vision. Flashes can be linked to migraines and appear as jagged lines or heat waves lasting up to 20 minutes.

Floaters appear as small lines or cobwebs in your field of vision. While appearing to be in your central vision, floaters are composed of tiny clumps of gel or cells.

You should contact us for emergency eye care right away if:

You have an increased amount of flashes
You notice new random floaters
A gray curtain covers part of your vision
A shadow appears in your peripheral vision

These symptoms may signal a retinal detachment and should be treated as soon as possible.

Scratches & Punctures

A cut or scratch to your eyeball or eyelid can indicate a need for urgent medical care. Your eyes are sensitive to trauma, so applying a loose bandage in the moment while you wait for medical treatment is vital.

It’s essential not to apply too much pressure.

Similarly, with a puncture, getting urgent medical care as soon as possible is the priority. If you experience a scratch or a puncture to your eye, you should not:

Rinse with water
Remove any objects stuck in the eye
Rub or apply pressure
Take any painkillers or other drugs

Chemical Eye Injuries

Chemical eye injuries can occur around the house from a task as simple as cleaning the sink or tending to your garden. Chemicals from cleaning products, garden chemicals, and industrial chemicals can get in your eyes.

If you get chemicals in your eyes, the following steps are recommended:

Wash your hands with soap and cool water thoroughly.
Turn your head, so the affected eye is down and to the side.
Hold the affected eyelid open and flush it out with clean tap water for 15 minutes.

A chemical eye injury can cause severe damage, and seeking medical attention as soon as possible is recommended.

Small & Large Foreign Object

Small foreign objects can include things like sand or dust that get in your eyes and cause discomfort. Small foreign objects usually aren’t a cause for concern, but the following steps can help manage irritation:

Avoid rubbing your eye and try blinking to see if it clears up
Wash your hands and look into your eye to try to locate the object
Use artificial tear eye drops to help rinse out the debris
Flush your eyes with cool water
Contact us for emergency eye care if irritation continues

Large foreign objects such as glass or metal can get stuck in your eyes and cause severe damage.

It’s crucial not to touch the object, apply pressure, or attempt to remove it before you can get emergency medical care.

Putting Your Safety First

Eye health is important, and putting safety first is crucial. Knowing some of the basic care steps when you initially experience an eye emergency can make all the difference before you can get emergency care.

Contact us at Experts on Sight if you experience an eye emergency. If we are not open or are unavailable please seek out the nearest emergency room.

Our Locations

Gilbert

We’re located just off Lindsay Road in the San Tan Professional Village, with plenty of parking out front. If you have trouble finding us, please give us a call.