Act Quickly to Save Your Sight
Eye care emergencies happen, and when they do, you must act quickly.
If you are experiencing an eye emergency, contact us to book an emergency appointment. If we are unavailable, please go directly to your nearest emergency room.
Signs of an Eye Emergency
Some symptoms should never be ignored. If you experience vision loss of any kind, please treat this as a medical emergency and contact us immediately.
Other symptoms of an eye care emergency include:
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Vision loss
- Double vision
- Eye pain
- Headache
- Itchy eyes
- Pupils of different sizes
- Extreme redness
- Sensitivity to light
- Stinging or burning
If you cannot reach our team, please go directly to your nearest emergency room.
Types of Eye Emergencies
There are several types of eye emergencies that can threaten your sight. They should all be taken seriously. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma
When the drainage channels in your eye become blocked suddenly, it can result in a severe increase in intraocular pressure.
This is known as acute angle-closure glaucoma and it results from the iris and cornea moving closer together, cutting off the eye’s ability to drain fluid.
Symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma include eye pain, nausea, and a severe headache. This is a medical emergency and must be dealt with immediately.
To read more about other types of glaucoma, please visit our Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management page.
Trauma to the Eye Area
If you get hit in the eye area with force, you may end up with a black eye, pain, blurred vision, or bleeding. Applying a cold compress may reduce pain or swelling, but be careful not to apply any pressure.
Trauma to the eye area can cause retinal detachments, so any visual disturbances after impact should be treated seriously.
Flashes & Floaters
Shadows in your field of vision that look like specks, spots, or cobwebs are called floaters. Seeing them is a relatively common occurrence, but if there are new or increased numbers of these floaters, it can be a cause of concern.
The presence of too many floaters or the sudden onset of new floaters may indicate a retinal detachment. Retinal detachments are serious medical emergencies and urgent action is needed to protect your sight.
Seeing flashes of light in your visual field is also a potential warning sign of a retinal detachment.
Chemical Splashes
Chemical splashes require flushing your eye with clean, lukewarm water for at least 20 minutes. If you wear contact lenses, remove them before flushing to avoid trapping chemicals between the lens and the eye.
Do not rub your eye or use eye drops unless directed to do so by a medical professional. Whenever possible, you should have someone call a medical professional with a description of the chemical in order to receive further instructions.
Cuts, Scrapes, & Punctures
Cuts, scrapes, and punctures to the eye require emergency medical attention. If such injury occurs, be sure to gently cover the eye to minimize movement. Be careful to not apply pressure to the eye when covering it.
Do not rinse your eye with water if it has been cut, scraped, or punctured. You should not take pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs until you are seen by a professional as these drugs might increase bleeding.
After you have finished protecting the eye, get emergency medical help.
Foreign Objects
You may be able to remove small items such as dust or grains of sand from the eye by thoroughly flushing with lukewarm water. However, if the object is larger and cannot be removed with flushing, seek immediate medical attention.
Never use tweezers or other tools near the eye area and do not attempt to dislodge large objects on your own.
Avoid Loss of Sight
To protect your sight, be sure to get immediate care for eye emergencies. Your vision is too important to take chances with. Do not “wait and see” if your eye heals. Contact us immediately.
OUR LOCATION
AECC Regina
- 3617B Pasqua Street
- Regina, SK S4S 6W8
Hours of Operation
- Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
*in July and August we are closed on Saturdays and open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Thursdays
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