Emergency Eye Care | Pickering | Leet Meldrew Eyecare

We’re Here When You Need Us Most

An eye injury can be stressful and scary. After all, even the smallest injury can put your eyesight at risk. If your injury is life-threatening or you can’t see an optometrist, then you should go to the hospital.

However, we have the technology and the expertise to treat many different eye injuries and emergencies and even prescribe medications if needed.

It’s not always clear what constitutes an emergency. While all eye injuries should be treated as soon as possible, they’re not all “emergencies.” The best thing you can do is call us for advice.

What to Do If You Have an Emergency outside Regular Business Hours

We’ll always do our best to accommodate your emergency needs, but please call us first so we can prepare for your visit. If you leave a voicemail message or send us an email, we’ll get back to you by the next business day.

However, there will be times when you need medical help outside regular business hours. If your injury can’t wait, please visit the Lakeridge Oshawa Emergency Department or the closest emergency or urgent care centre near you.

Symptoms of an Eye Emergency

Eye emergencies include a range of conditions and injuries, each with its own distinct symptoms. If you experience any of the following symptoms, please call us immediately:

Decreased or loss of vision

Double or blurred vision

Eye pain

Burning or stinging in the eyes

Redness or irritation of the eyes

Light sensitivity

Bruising around the eye

Bleeding from the eye

Blood in the whites of the eyes

Discharge from the eye

Pupils that are not the same size

One eye not moving like the other

One eye sticking out or bulging

Severe itching

New or severe headaches

Foreign Object

While getting eyelashes, dust, or other debris in the eye is common and rarely an emergency, occasionally small foreign objects can get stuck or scratch the eye’s surface.

Your eye has natural mechanisms designed to flush these small items out, but you can try helping them along by rinsing your eye with cool, clean water or saline solution. If you can’t get it out or it feels like it’s still in the eye even though you know it’s not, please call us for help. You may have sustained a corneal abrasion.

Larger and sharper objects, like glass or metal, should always be removed by a medical professional. They can puncture the eye and cause extreme damage. Never apply pressure or attempt to remove these at home.

Corneal Abrasion

You can get a cut or scratch (abrasion) on your cornea from many different things, like dirt, dust, a child’s fingernail, metal, glass, and more. An abrasion will usually heal on its own, but it can become infected and require drops to recover.

Abrasions can be irritating and can itch, but never rub your eye. Instead, please call us immediately so we can treat it.

Eye Disease

Not all eye emergencies are a result of an injury. Some eye conditions and diseases can also pose an immediate risk to your vision. If you experience sudden changes in your vision and severe eye pain or headache, please call us immediately.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma causes symptoms like:

Severe headache
Sudden eye pain
Nausea and vomiting
Blurred vision
Halos around lights
Eye redness, tenderness, and hardness

Wet age-related macular degeneration causes symptoms like:

Visual distortions (straight lines seeming bent)
Reduced central vision in one or both eyes
A well-defined blurry or blind spot in your field of vision
A general haziness
Decreased intensity or brightness of colours
Difficulty recognizing faces
Difficulty adapting to low light levels
Abrupt onset of and rapidly worsening symptoms

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns can occur when a chemical splashes into your eyes. While some burns only cause mild discomfort, every burn should be taken seriously.

If a chemical has entered your eyes, flush your eyes with cool, clean water for at least 15 minutes, then call us.

You can receive an acid burn from:

Bleach
Vinegar
Nail polish remover
Batteries
Glass polish

Alkali burns are much more severe than acid burns. You can get an alkali burn from:

Fertilizer
Cleaning products that contain ammonia
Drain cleaners that contain lye
Oven cleaners
Plaster and cement

Emergency Eye Care in Pickering

We’re Here When You Need Us Most

What to Do If You Have an Emergency outside Regular Business Hours

Symptoms of an Eye Emergency

Common Eye Emergencies

Foreign Object

Corneal Abrasion

Eye Disease

Chemical Burns

Call Us When You Need Help

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