Foreign objects or stabbing pains in your eye? Don’t wait!
Eye Emergencies in Durham
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.
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
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
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.
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, you may scratch your cornea while attempting to get an object out which can cause further sight-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.
Meet our Eye Doctors
Frances Sites O.D.
Language:
English
- Accepting New Patients
- Family Friendly
- In Person Appointments
Dr. Sites attended Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. and was granted early admission to Salus University (formerly known as Pennsylvania College of Optometry) where she received her bachelors degree in visual science and her Doctorate of…
Thomas Arnista O.D.
Language:
English
- Accepting New Patients
- Family Friendly
- In Person Appointments
Dr. Arnista received Deans List honors in Biological Sciences at UCONN and was granted early admission into the New England College of Optometry. While there he earned both his Doctorate of Optometry and a B.S. in Visual Science in 1985.…
Patient Reviews
4.6
115 Reviews
New M. - Jul 20, 2026
What a great place when they tell you that they are going to take care of something
THEY DO !!!
Lori L. - Jul 11, 2026
I am so happy to be back at Durham Family Eye Care after 10 years! I had originally started going el... Show Moresewhere because my previous insurance wasn’t accepted, but this year I have new insurance that they do accept, and I’m so glad I returned.
To make matters worse, I showed up feeling like the worst patient ever—I forgot my insurance information, forgot my glasses, and even forgot my prescription! The receptionist couldn’t have been kinder. She was able to verify my insurance for me and immediately put me at ease.
Dr. Sites was wonderful. She was incredibly kind, thorough, and took the time to answer my questions. The exam was much more comprehensive than the office I had been going to in Middletown, where I always felt rushed. At Durham Family Eye Care, I never felt like they were trying to hurry me along.
I don’t remember everyone’s names, but every staff member I interacted with was professional, patient, and genuinely friendly. When it came time to pick out glasses, they took the time to help me find frames that actually complemented my face instead of just pointing me toward a display.
I also received trial contact lenses to wear for a week before my follow-up visit, which I really appreciated. On top of that, they offer 50% off glasses when you purchase your contact lenses, which seems like an amazing value.
From start to finish, the entire experience exceeded my expectations. The level of customer service, attention to detail, and genuine care for their patients is outstanding. I highly recommend Durham Family Eye Care!
Urgent Eye Care in Durham
Hours Show More
- Monday 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Tuesday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Wednesday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Thursday 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans Show More
- VSP
- Medicare
- United Healthcare
- Cigna
- Spectera
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Davis Vision
- EyeMed
- Humana
- Medicaid
- Anthem
- National Vision Administration (NVA)
- UMR
- AARP
- MetLife
- Aetna Medicare
- Aetna
- Blue View Vision
- Optum
- Meritain Health
- Superior Vision
- Cigna Vision
- Guardian
- Oxford
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- FEP Blue Vision
- Premier Eye Care
- WellCare
- BCBS Federal Employee Program
Have an eye emergency?
Protect your vision by contacting Durham Family Eye Care in Durham without delay!