Go to the Emergency Room (or Call 911) If You Have:
- Sudden complete or near-complete vision loss in one eye: This is a potential stroke or retinal artery occlusion and requires immediate emergency care. Do not wait.
- A severe penetrating eye injury: If something has punctured the eyeball or is embedded in the eye, do not rub it. Cover the eye loosely and go directly to the ER.
- Chemical splashed in the eye: Flush with large amounts of clean water immediately, then go to the ER. Flushing takes priority over everything else.
- Symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma: Severe eye pain, halos around lights, nausea and vomiting, and sudden blurry vision together require urgent medical care.
- Signs of a stroke alongside vision changes: If vision loss accompanies facial drooping, arm weakness, or speech difficulty, call 911 immediately.
Call Eyes On Optometry First If You Have:
- A sudden shower of new floaters or flashes of light: This can indicate a retinal tear requiring prompt but not necessarily ER-level care. We can assess urgency and arrange referral if needed. Call us immediately.
- Eye pain that has developed over hours: Gradual eye pain often indicates infection, inflammation, or a corneal issue. Our emergency and urgent eye care service handles these efficiently, often the same day.
- A foreign body sensation: A feeling that something is in your eye is something an optometrist examines and removes with proper equipment.
- A scratched cornea (corneal abrasion): Very painful but treatable in a clinical setting. We examine the abrasion and prescribe appropriate treatment to prevent infection.
- Pink eye (conjunctivitis): Whether bacterial, viral, or allergic, pink eye is a standard optometry presentation. We diagnose the type and provide appropriate treatment, which is far faster than an ER visit.
- A stye or chalazion: Lumps on the eyelid are common and rarely serious. An optometrist can advise on treatment and manage any complications.
- A blow to the eye with no penetrating injury: Blunt trauma can cause a subconjunctival hemorrhage, orbital bruising, or internal pressure changes. We examine the internal structures and assess for damage.
What If Eyes On Optometry Is Closed?
- Genuine emergencies (penetrating injury, chemical burn, sudden complete vision loss) go directly to the Royal Alexandra Hospital or the University of Alberta Hospital emergency department.
- Urgent but non-emergency concerns (sudden significant floaters, retinal tear symptoms) warrant an early morning call to our clinic for a same-day assessment.
- For after-hours guidance on non-emergency concerns, call Health Link 811, Alberta Health Services’ nurse advice line.
Preserving Your Vision in the First Minutes
For chemical exposures, flush immediately with water for at least 15 minutes before doing anything else. For penetrating injuries, do not rub, do not apply pressure, and do not try to remove any embedded object. Cover the eye with a clean loose shield and go directly to the ER. For sudden vision loss with no trauma, get to emergency care within the hour if possible.
Book Urgent Eye Care in Edmonton
Eyes On Optometry makes every effort to accommodate urgent appointments for patients experiencing eye problems. Most conditions that send people to the emergency room out of uncertainty are things we handle in clinic quickly and effectively. Contact us immediately for urgent eye care in Edmonton.
For context on which symptoms suggest you should act quickly, review our list of 10 signs you need to see an eye doctor near you in Edmonton.