Eye injuries and sudden vision changes can be scary, and they rarely happen at a convenient time. When something’s wrong with your eyes, figuring out where to go shouldn’t add to the stress.
The ER makes sense for some injuries. For many others, your optometrist’s office has the tools to look inside your eye, since urgent eye care uses the same equipment we rely on during routine eye exams. For most eye emergencies, call your optometrist first for same-day care, and go to the ER after hours care or for major trauma or a chemical burn that’s affecting your vision.
What Counts as an Eye Emergency?
A little itchiness or redness can usually wait for your next checkup. Pay closer attention when symptoms come on suddenly or the pain keeps getting worse.
Sudden changes in your vision need a call the same day:
👁️ Vision loss in 1 or both eyes, even if it’s partial or clears up quickly
👁️ New flashes of light
👁️ A dark shadow or curtain moving across part of your view
Flashes, floaters, and that curtain-like shadow are painless vision symptoms that can point to a retinal detachment, which needs medical attention within 24 hours of the first symptoms or permanent vision loss can result.
Symptoms to Take Seriously
Certain symptoms mean picking up the phone instead of waiting it out:
⚠️ A chemical splash, even if the stinging fades
⚠️ Sharp eye pain
⚠️ Swollen eyelids with a fever
⚠️ Pain or light sensitivity after wearing contact lenses
Signs of an Eye Emergency in Kids
Young kids can’t always explain what hurts, so watch how they’re acting. A child who refuses to open an eye or keeps rubbing their eyes may be telling you something. Crying that won’t stop and any redness or discharge you can see are worth a call too.
If something seems off, call your optometrist right away. You know your child. 💛
Should You Go to the ER, Urgent Care, or an Optometrist?
The right place depends on what happened to the eye and how the rest of your body is responding.
When to Go to the ER
Go straight to the emergency room for major trauma to the eye or face, or for a chemical burn that’s affecting your vision. Eye pain that comes with vomiting or confusion also needs the ER. Call 911 if the injured person can’t get there safely.
When to Call Your Optometrist
Most of the symptoms above, from new floaters to contact lens pain, can be handled with a same-day visit with your optometrist. So does a scratched eye or something stuck under your eyelid.
Your optometrist can check the overall health of your eyes right in the office.
Urgent Care and Eye Issues
Urgent care can help with minor eye issues, but often don’t have the same equipment an eye doctor has and will usually end up referring you to an eye doctor anyway.
What to Do Right After an Eye Injury
Follow the steps that match what happened:
🩹 Chemical splash: Flush the eye with clean water or sterile saline for 15 to 20 minutes, then call for help.
🩹 Possible puncture: Tape a paper cup or light shield over the eye. Skip drops and don’t press on it.
🩹 Blow to the eye: Rest a cold compress lightly on the brow bone and keep pressure off the eye itself.
🩹 Dust or an eyelash: Blink a few times and rinse with saline. Leave anything embedded in the eye alone.
Try not to rub the eye, and keep tweezers and cotton swabs away from it. Skip numbing drops too, since they can hide symptoms your optometrist needs to see. If your vision changed or the eye is covered, ask someone else to drive you.
What to Expect at an Emergency Eye Visit
Expect a few questions first, like when the problem started and what you were doing at the time. Mention if you wear contacts and remove them . From there, optometrists can check your vision, measure eye pressure, and dilate your eyes to look at the retina.
Care might include drops, rinsing the eye, removing an object, or a referral to a specialist as needed.
On your way out the door, grab a list of your medications and eye drops along with your insurance card and ID. If a product or contact lens is involved, bring the label or your lens case.
Use your drops exactly as directed, even once the eye starts feeling better. Rest from heavy lifting, straining, and contact lens wear until you get the green light from your eye doctor. Call us if new pain or floaters show up, or if your symptoms get worse.
How to Lower Your Risk of Eye Injuries
Plenty of eye injuries happen during everyday chores and weekend games. Wear safety glasses for power tools and yard work, and switch to goggles when you’re handling chemicals. Sport goggles can help protect your eyes during ball and racquet sports. 🥎
Follow the cleaning routine from your contact lens exam, and never sleep in lenses that aren’t approved for overnight wear.
Regular eye exams can find glaucoma and retinal changes early, often before you notice anything.
Make a Family Eye Emergency Plan
Set up a plan now, so you don’t have to figure it out in the moment:
- ✅ Save your optometrist’s number in every phone in the house
- ✅ Find the nearest ER that’s open 24 hours
- ✅ Keep sterile saline in your first aid kit
- ✅ Add a plastic eye shield to the kit
Where to Go for an Eye Emergency in Long Beach
When you’re not sure whether something counts as urgent, call your optometrist and describe what’s going on.
Our team at Sea View Optometry offers same-day urgent eye care and can help you figure out whether to come in or head to the ER.💙 Book an appointment for your next eye exam, too, so we can get to know your eyes well before anything goes wrong. 👓
