What Can Be Considered as An Eye Emergency and How to Take Care of Your Eyes?
Eyes are precious organs of our bodies as they enable us to see the world. Without vision, our life can become challenging and hence it is important to take care of the vision with proper eye care. At times, you may face some trouble with your eye such as pain, swelling of the eyelids, redness, itchiness, etc. which signifies that something is wrong with your eye. It is important to see an ophthalmologist in such a situation so that you can prevent any kind of damage happening to your eye. The reason for the problem in your eye can be anything from injury or disease and thus it is better to get proper diagnosis and treatment as early as possible.
What is an Eye Emergency?
An eye emergency is when a foreign body or chemical enters your eye. Burning sensation or injury can also be considered as situations that need emergency eye care. In case of even the mildest of swelling, redness, or pain in the eyes, contact an eye doctor near you, as you may be at the risk of permanent blindness or partial loss of vision.
How Do You Know If Your Eye is Injured?
Eye injury is also an eye emergency. However, eye emergencies can happen due to various reasons and only the symptoms can help in deciding if the emergency is linked with an injury. Here’s a look at some signs of eye injury:
- Pain in the eye
- Limited vision
- Double vision
- Loss of vision
- Blurred vision
- Burning sensation in eyes
- Redness and irritation
- One eye is not moving like another
In case of any of these symptoms, you must immediately rush to the emergency optometrist for treatment.
Chemical Injury to The Eye
When a cleaning product, garden chemicals, or industrial chemicals get into your eyes, it can lead to chemical burns in your eyes. If at all your eye comes in contact with alkaline products such as drain cleaners, sodium hydroxide, or lime, it can permanently damage your cornea.
You must wash your hands with soap and water and flush your eye with clean and cool water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you are wearing lenses, try to remove them as early as possible. Rush to an emergency room so that any further damage can be prevented.
Foreign Object in Eye
If a small particle, sand, dust, or insect gets into your eye, it can lead to eye damage and loss of vision.
Avoid rubbing your eyes and try to blink them to see if the object comes out on its own. Pull the lower lid down gently to see if anything has gotten inside. Similarly, pull the upper lid upwards and inspect the eye. Use teardrops and flush your eyes with cold water. If the discomfort persists, go and see the eye doctor.
In case a big foreign object gets stuck in your eyes such as a metal or glass object, don’t touch it or try to remove it. This is a medical emergency that can only be handled by an eye doctor.
Cuts or Scratches
In case of cut or scratches in the eyelids or eyeball, you must not waste any time and book an appointment with an eye doctor immediately.
Some General Tips to Take Care of Your Precious Eyes
- Eating a healthy and balanced diet which includes omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and Vitamin E can help in keeping your eyes healthy.
- It is important to engage in some kind of exercise to maintain a healthy weight and avoid diabetes and BP so that it doesn’t make you vulnerable to eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
- Excessive exposure to the sun can damage your eye which is why you must invest in a good pair of sunglasses that offer protection against UV radiations.
- It is better to be aware of the medical history of your family so that you can take proper precautions to avoid inheriting certain eye conditions.
- You must take extra care of your eye if you wear contact lenses.
- If you work on a computer, you must give your eyes some rest in every few minutes.