How To Handle Emergency Eye Injuries: Information From Our Optometrists In Hurst, Roanoke, And Woodland Springs
Emergency eye injuries almost always involve foreign substances getting into the eyes, but that doesn’t mean they should all be treated the same way. Our optometrists at First Eye Care offer some tips for how to handle common variations of these problems:
Administer First Aid
In most cases, an eye injury needs some first aid to prevent further damage or reduce pain on the way to an emergency eye care center.
- If nothing is embedded in the eye and the eye has no cuts in it, flushing it with water to remove minor debris is generally recommended.
- Avoid flushing the eye if there is an embedded object or the eye is cut. Flushing could remove vital eye fluids.
- Before flushing liquids from the eye, check the label. You may need to use a baking soda wash or other special preparation to stop the chemical from doing more damage.
- Do not remove embedded objects – vital eye fluids may leak out. A doctor can safely get them out.
- Feel free to clean and bandage cuts around, but not in, the eye.
- Put a bandage over the eye unless something is sticking out of it. This will help protect it from further pain from light exposure. It will also help prevent more damage that could be caused by blinking with particles in the eye.
Obtain Emergency Treatment
The best place to obtain treatment is from an emergency eye care specialist. You can often get treatment from your regular optometrist. Your optometrist may refer you to another specialist if the nature of your injury is beyond the scope of his or her practice. He or she can also stabilize your injury while you wait for treatments like the surgical removal of an embedded object.
In the case that no eye care center is available at the time of the injury, go to a hospital emergency room (ER). Hospital ERs typically don’t have eye specialists at the ready, but they can stabilize your injury until one is available.
Contact Our Optometrists In Woodland Springs, Roanoke, Or Hurst Today
To make an emergency appointment with us here at First Eye Care, just call one of our locations. To contact our optometry office in Hurst, TX call (817-656-2020), for our Roanoke, TX optometrists call (817-491-2018), and for our optometrists in Woodland Springs, TX call (817-741-4177).