Eye Emergencies– Belmont, MA

Traumatic Eye Injury/Accidents

Trauma is a common cause for eye emergencies. Avoid rubbing your eye and gently place a protective cover over it to shield it until you receive treatment. Avoid rinsing it with water and don’t take any anti-inflammatory pain medications that could encourage bleeding.

Foreign Body or Chemical Burn

Getting small, natural particles like dirt or sand in your eye isn’t usually an emergency. However, glass, metal, or other man-made materials can cause serious damage. Be sure to avoid touching your eye and wash it with a saline solution or running tap water.

Noticeable Vision Changes

Fluctuating vision changes are a common sign of diabetes or high blood pressure. When left unaddressed, it can result in permanent vision loss, which is why time is of the essence for treatment.

Red Eye

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, can be a result of several different causes, including allergies, bacteria, and viruses. Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are highly contagious and may need to be treated with antibiotics or topical prescriptions.

Different-Sized Pupils (Pupil Anisocoria)

Different-sized pupils can indicate serious and dangerous medical conditions if they occur after an injury or in combination with other symptoms. It could indicate physical optical damage or a disease that’s affecting the iris or pupil.

Bulging Eyes (Proptosis/Exophthalmos)

Bacterial infections can often cause eye bulge. If it’s not treated in a timely manner, the infection could spread from the eye socket to other areas of the body. This is also a sign of other underlying conditions, such as hyperthyroidism.

Headaches, Glaucoma and Family History

If you have a family history of glaucoma or are experiencing common symptoms, such as headaches, eye pain, and blurred vision, you require urgent treatment. These are often signs of optic nerve damage caused by increased pressure in the eye.