Compassionate Eye Care in Your Time of Need

Our Total Vision commitment includes providing eye care when you need it most: during an eye emergency. It can be stressful and difficult to know what to do if you or your child experience an eye injury or unusual symptoms. Please call us immediately, and we can help.

In the case that we’re closed, please visit your closest urgent care center or emergency department.

An eye emergency is anything that puts your eye health or vision at immediate risk, including injuries or eye diseases. Symptoms may include:

Vision loss
Eye pain
New or severe headaches
Burning or stinging eyes
Pupils of different sizes
One eye not moving like the other
One eye bulging or sticking out
Double vision
Redness and irritation in or around the eyes
Increased sensitivity to light
Bruising around the eye
Bleeding from the eye
Blood in the sclera (whites of the eyes)
Discharge from the eye

Please call us for immediate help if you or a loved one experience any of these symptoms. Even a seemingly minor injury can cause vision loss or blindness.

Common Eye Emergencies

Chemical Exposure

Chemical injury can occur when your eyes come into contact with any chemical, including solid, liquid, powder, or aerosol chemicals. Chemical exposure can happen anywhere, including the home. Some of the most common chemical injuries are caused by:

Soaps
Disinfectants
Solvents
Cosmetics
Drain cleaners
Oven cleaners
Ammonia
Bleach
Pesticides
Fertilizers

Alkaline burns, like those sustained from drain cleaner, oven cleaner, or ammonia, are especially dangerous because they penetrate the eye tissues more readily.

If your eyes come into contact with a chemical, immediately rinse them with a continuous stream of cool water for at least 10 minutes. Then call us for help.

Foreign Objects

A foreign object in the eye includes anything that doesn’t belong there, from small dust particles, hair, to metal shards. While small objects like hair or dust commonly enter the eyes and rarely count as an eye emergency, they can occasionally scratch the cornea. Untreated corneal abrasions can become infected and turn into ulcers.

Larger and sharper foreign objects, like metal and glass, pose a more significant risk to your eye health. Sharp objects can penetrate the eye and require an eye care professional to remove them.

Never attempt to remove sharp foreign bodies yourself because you may cause further damage to your eye. While awaiting medical attention:

Restrict eye movements
Bandage or cover the eye with a paper cup
Cover the uninjured eye to help prevent the injured eye from moving

Sudden Vision Loss

Vision loss is considered “sudden” if it occurs over a few minutes to a few days. Vision loss is always considered an eye emergency, so call us immediately if you experience any degree of vision loss. We can determine what’s causing your vision loss during a comprehensive eye exam.

Vision loss generally occurs due to 3 different reasons, which can be caused by eye injuries or eye diseases:

Obstruction of normally transparent eye structures
Abnormalities of the retina
Abnormalities of the optic nerve and the visual pathways

Blunt Trauma

Blunt eye injuries occur when you’re struck in the face or the eye with something like a ball or a fist. These types of injuries can damage your eyelid, eye, or the thin bones behind your eye. Even an injury that appears minor needs to be examined by your optometrist. Damage isn’t always apparent and can result in long-term complications.

Blunt trauma can cause:

Bruising and swelling (black eye)
Cuts on the eyelid or skin around the eye
Scratches on the cornea
Detached retina
Dislocated lens
Bleeding in the eye
Blowout fracture
Globe rupture

Preventing Eye Injuries

90% of eye injuries, including those sustained at home or at leisure, can be prevented simply by wearing the appropriate eye protection. Protective eyewear includes sunglasses since the sun’s UV rays can cause extensive damage to the eyes.

Our team at Total Vision Solana Beach is always happy to help you choose the best eye protection for your needs! Please reach out to us if you’re looking for something specific, or call us in your time of emergency. We’re committed to providing you with comprehensive, personalized total vision care, no matter what your need is.

Book Appointment