Emergency Eye Care

Experiencing a stab of pain in your eye?

Sudden changes in vision? Images appearing faded, blurry or foggy?

Got chemicals or another foreign object or substance in your eye?

Come visit Durham Family Eye Care for emergency eye care.

Our Durham optometrists can help you preserve your vision and eye health.

eye emergency treated at Durham Family Eye Care

We understand that accidents happen.

Our optometrists know exactly what to do to help you through your eye care emergency.

Whether it’s a workplace accident, an at-home incident, or some other emergency requiring immediate attention, we’re here to help you preserve your eye health and sight!

What To Do If You Have an Eye Emergency

First things first. Don’t panic! Staying calm is the best way to help you think straight and help those around you to remain calm. Often, it’s not necessary to go to an emergency room for eye emergencies. In fact, the vast majority of people who go to the emergency room for eye care could have received treatment from their local optometrist instead.

If you’re unsure whether you’re experiencing an eye emergency, give us a call immediately! Delay may increase the risk of serious complications and may result in vision loss.

Until you see your eye doctor or seek urgent care, avoid the following:

Don’t try to remove an embedded object out of your eye
If your eye is injured, don't press on it or rub it
Dry cotton and sharp instruments such as tweezers should never be used on the eye.

Whether you've had a workplace accident or an at-home incident, our eye doctors are here to help

Eye Emergencies FAQs

What is considered an eye emergency?

Eye emergencies are anything that may cause permanent damage to your eyes or vision without timely intervention from an eye care professional.

The most common types of eye emergencies include:

A blow, poke or other trauma to the eye
Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
Chemical spills in the eye
Foreign object embedded in the eye
Sudden appearance of light flashes or floaters
Contact lens lost in the eye

Does an eye infection require urgent care?

Symptoms of an eye infection typically include itching, burning, redness, crusty and watery eyes. See a Durham eye doctor if your symptoms last over 4 days or if you experience intense pain, redness, blurred vision or light sensitivity.

What should I do if a foreign object enters my eye?

Most of the time, a person can easily remove debris from the eye by repeatedly blinking to get the debris out. If that doesn't work, you can wash your eye with saline (sterile salt water) to flush out any dust and dirt from your eye, or use streaming tap water.

However, to scratch your cornea while attempting to get an object out which can cause further site-threatening complications.

So the best thing you can do in this kind of eye emergency is to get to your eye doctor in Durham as soon as possible.