It is important for you to understand when you need to have an emergency eye exam. Needless to say, an annual visit to our optometrist or a contact lens exam don’t qualify as emergencies. The following are some conditions that do count as emergencies. Do not hesitate to call our eye doctor or head to our clinic immediately if you experience:

• Accidents that cause trauma to the eye that can cause pain, swelling, sensitivity to light, and double vision. If not treated promptly, these injuries can lead to a permanent loss of vision.
• A chemical burn or foreign body getting in the eye. This can cause immediate pain and discomfort. If you have a saline solution at hand, it is sometimes advised to irrigate the affected eye, or use water if you don’t have it. Head to our eye doctor immediately afterwards so we can ensure total neutralization of the chemical or complete removal of foreign bodies from your eyes.
• Noticeable changes in your vision, including flashing lights and a shower of floating spots in the eye. These symptoms can indicate serious conditions like retinal detachment or symptoms of stroke and other neurological issues.
• A red eye with discharge. These symptoms could indicate pink eye, ocular herpes, or uveitis, all potentially serious conditions and which can only be diagnosed correctly by a professional.
• Different size pupils or pupil anisocoria, which can be a symptom of head trauma, stroke, brain tumor, or any of a number of maladies and diseases that need urgent diagnosis.

Other conditions include bulging eyes, new or extreme headaches, a family history of glaucoma, one eye not moving like the other, blood in the white of the eye, severe itching, or stinging and burning in the eye.

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