Eye Injuries That Should Be Seen In The ER
There are few things more frightening than the thought of losing your eyesight due to injury or trauma. Fortunately, permanent loss of vision can usually be avoided when an eye injury is treated quickly and appropriately by a qualified medical professional. The exceptional team of board-certified emergency room physicians and professional staff at iCare ER & Urgent Care in Fort Worth and Frisco, TX are highly experienced in the complexities of traumatic eye injuries. They are committed to providing immediate and effective treatment to minimize any long-term damage and give patients rapid relief from their symptoms.
While some conditions may not require emergent treatment, it is always best to err on the side of caution and seek an immediate evaluation in the case of a traumatic eye injury. Make sure you know what signs, symptoms, and types of eye injuries may mean you need to visit the emergency room with this helpful information. At iCare ER & Urgent Care, you never need an appointment to be seen, and our team will ensure that your eye injury is evaluated and treated promptly upon arrival.
Is my eye injury serious enough for an ER visit?
There are a number of eye injuries that can lead to long-term or even permanent complications if left untreated. Even with delayed treatment or self-administered care, serious eye injuries can still be devastating to your vision or appearance. In fact, many patients who attempt to treat their eye injury actually exacerbate the problem further. With this in mind, the vast majority of eye injuries should be evaluated by an experienced ER physician as quickly as possible. Some of the most common types of eye injuries that are likely to require ER care include:
- Sports-related injury
- Blunt-force trauma
- MVA-related eye injury
- Broken eye socket
- Chemical burn
- Complex allergic reaction
- Retinal detachment
- Foreign object in the eye
- Foreign substance in the eye
- Eye laceration
During your visit to either of our hybrid ER/urgent care locations in Frisco, TX or Fort Worth, TX, your provider will perform a thorough examination to determine the best course of action for your eye injury. If it is determined that your condition does not require emergency room care, you can likely be transferred to our urgent care to receive the same quality of treatment with a lower fee.
What are the symptoms of a serious eye injury?
It is important to understand what signs and symptoms to look for when determining if your eye injury may require emergent treatment in the ER. Common symptoms of eye injury that may mean you should seek immediate treatment in order to avoid serious complications include:
- Blood in the eye
- Loss of vision
- Blurred vision or double vision
- Split, cut, or lacerated eyelid
- Object in the eye
- Forced debris in the eye
- Floaters
- Detached retina
- Pain or discomfort in or around the eye
- Splashed substance in the eye
- Swollen, bruised, or black eye
- Difficulty opening or closing one or both eyes
- Asymmetry of the eyes
How long do eye injuries take to heal?
The healing and recovery period after a traumatic eye injury can vary dramatically based on the nature and severity of the injury, the treatment that was performed, and other factors. The caring ER physicians at iCare ER & Urgent Care understand the critical role that your eyes and eyesight play in everyday life and are committed to providing the most advanced eye injury treatments available to ensure efficient and complete healing.
How can eye injuries be prevented?
Without a doubt, the best way to prevent serious eye injury is to wear protective eyewear during high-risk activities, including cooking, handling chemicals, cleaning, playing sports, doing yard work, painting, and working with tools.
What should I do if I have a serious eye injury?
We understand that in some cases, accidents may be unavoidable. In the event that you do experience a traumatic eye injury, seek emergency room treatment as quickly as possible. To prevent further injury to yourself or others, have someone else drive you to the ER. Do not attempt to treat the eye yourself, and do not attempt to remove any objects – including contact lenses – from the eye, unless instructed to do so by an experienced medical professional. In the case of chemical burns or splashes, eye rinsing may be appropriate depending on the agent. Patients can call 911 or Poison Control Centers to get immediate guidance until they can get to the ER.
Don’t risk your eyesight; seek immediate ER treatment for serious eye injuries in North Texas
There are few things as valuable as your eyesight. If you suffer a serious eye injury, we urge you to seek immediate evaluation and treatment to avoid permanent damage to your vision. Our expert team of board-certified emergency room physicians and professional staff at iCare ER & Urgent Care in Fort Worth and Frisco, TX is committed to providing prompt, thorough, and effective treatment for even the most complex eye injuries. Don’t risk your vision; let us take a closer look today.
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