Your Trusted Emergency Eye Care Services in Edmond
At First Rate Eye Care, we offer emergency services for when you require immediate and urgent eye care. If your eye is injured, don't try to judge the severity of it. Immediately seek the opinion of an eye doctor to lessen the risk of hurting your vision. We understand ocular emergencies can arise at any time.
Please call our Edmond office at (405) 339-7343 for further instructions. Use your best judgment. If you feel your vision issue is urgent, do not delay treatment — visit your nearest emergency treatment center immediately.
Red, Pink, or Burning & Sore Eyes?
We are ready to look after ALL of your eye care needs at our convenient Edmond office. In addition to the services you already rely on us for, such as routine eye exams, contact lenses, designer frames, and eyeglasses, you can also count on us to be your eye care partner during eye emergencies, including:
- sore, red, or itchy eyes
- treatment of pink eye and other bacterial infections
- removal of foreign bodies from the eye (such as wood or metal)
- treatment of eye allergies or burns
- emergency eye care
- post-surgical follow-up
We try to make our services as convenient and cost-effective as possible for your whole family, and you can be sure you are receiving the dedicated attention of an eye care specialist when you visit First Rate Eye Care.
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Eye Emergencies in Edmond
At First Rate Eye Care, we are ready to help should you ever experience an eye emergency. Our vision center provides emergency services for eye infections, eye injuries, and other eye emergencies. State-of-the-art equipment allows us to examine the front surface of the eye and also digitally scan inside the eye for infection or damage. We accommodate many eye emergencies such as:
- Eye infections
- Foreign materials stuck in the eyes
- Eye trauma
- Scratched eyes
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Lost or broken contact lenses or eyeglasses
- Flashes of light in the vision
- “Floaters” in the vision
- Red or painful eyes
- Dislodged contact lenses
- Uncomfortable, itchy, or irritated eyes
Studies have shown that an overwhelming number of emergency room visits could have been treated by an optometrist. These ranged from foreign bodies and severe eye allergies to eye infections as the most common reasons for emergency room visits. It is not always necessary to go to an emergency room for eye emergencies; optometrists are equipped to treat the majority of these urgencies.
We understand the importance of eye care when you encounter symptoms such as those listed above. These are signs that an immediate evaluation or consultation is necessary — please call us to set one up if you are experiencing an eye emergency of any kind.
Foreign Bodies
A foreign body can be an eyelash, sawdust, sand, dirt, or other objects that get lodged in the eyes. The main symptom is irritation or pain. Depending on what it is and how the injury happened, the foreign body may pierce the eye and cause serious injury, or it may simply resolve itself with no long-term problem.
The foreign object may create an inflammatory cascade, resulting in dilation of the surrounding vessels and subsequent edema of the lids, conjunctiva, and cornea. If not removed, a foreign body can cause infection.
If anything is stuck in your eye for more than a couple of hours, you must immediately cease all attempts to remove it yourself. Keep in mind that the eyes are extremely delicate organs and attempts to try and rectify the situation may have adverse results. Rather consult your eye doctor or visit your nearest emergency room in urgent situations.
How Can An Eye Doctor Help?
If there is a foreign body in your eye, such as a piece of grit, your eye doctor may try and remove it. They will put anesthetic eye drops in your eye first, in order to numb it and prevent any pain.
If the foreign body is easy to get to, it may be possible to remove it by simply rinsing your eye with water or by wiping it away with a cotton wool bud or triangle of card. However, if this is unsuccessful, your eye doctor may try to remove the foreign body by lifting it with the tip of a small metal instrument.
The foreign body could be stuck underneath your upper eyelid, especially if you can feel something there or you have scratches or grazes (abrasions) on the top half of the transparent outer layer of your eye (cornea). If this is the case, it may be necessary to gently turn your eyelid inside out to remove the foreign body.
Once the anesthetic eye drops have worn off, your eye may feel uncomfortable until your abrasion heals.
If you experience any issues with your eyes or suspect a foreign object has entered the outer eye layer, it's crucial to seek immediate attention at the nearest treatment center. Ignoring these symptoms can result in vision loss, premature cataracts, and retina damage. Don't take any risks; prompt action is essential.
Symptoms that require emergency service include, but are not limited to:
- Sudden loss of vision
- Sudden double vision
- Sudden red/painful eye
- Pink Eye
- New onset of flashes and/or floaters
- Foreign body in the eye (especially metal or chemicals)
- New or worsening swelling or pain after eye surgery
Things NOT to do while waiting for professional medical assistance:
- DO NOT press on an injured eye or allow the victim to rub the eye(s)
- DO NOT attempt to remove a foreign body resting on the cornea (the clear surface of the eye through which we see) or that appears to be embedded in any part of the eye
- DO NOT use dry cotton (including cotton swabs) or sharp instruments (such as tweezers) on the eye
- DO NOT attempt to remove an embedded object
DO call our office in Edmond at (405) 339-7343 for further instructions! We are here for you!