Urgent Eye Care
Some eye symptoms are measured in hours, not weeks.
Overview
A number of eye conditions have a short window in which sight can be saved. A chemical splash is measured in seconds, a blocked retinal artery in hours, a retinal detachment or an acute rise in pressure in about a day.
If your symptoms appear in the list below, please attend an emergency eye service the same day rather than waiting for a routine appointment. After a chemical splash, rinse the eye with clean water for at least fifteen minutes before you set off.
When to seek assessment
- Sudden painless loss of vision in one eye
- A curtain, shadow or veil across part of your vision
- A sudden shower of new floaters, or flashing lights
- A chemical splash — rinse immediately, then attend
- Any penetrating injury or high-speed particle in the eye
- Severe eye pain with redness, haloes, headache or vomiting
Diagnosis
How the assessment is made
Immediate assessment
Vision, pupil reactions and eye pressure are checked within minutes of arrival, as together they identify the conditions that threaten sight.
Full retinal examination
A careful search of the peripheral retina in anyone with new floaters or flashes, looking for a tear before it becomes a detachment.
Scans and ultrasound
Detailed imaging, including ultrasound where blood or cloudiness prevents a clear view inside the eye.
Treatment
Options and what each one is for
Immediate stabilisation
Thorough rinsing and neutralising after a chemical injury; urgent pressure-lowering treatment in acute angle closure; shielding and antibiotic cover after a penetrating injury.
Sealing a retinal tear
Laser or freezing treatment applied the same day to seal a tear before it progresses to a retinal detachment.
Corneal injuries and foreign bodies
Removal under magnification, treatment of any residual rust, a protective contact lens and antibiotic cover.
Urgent onward referral
Direct referral to vitreoretinal, oculoplastic or neuro-ophthalmology colleagues where needed, with your scans and notes transferred the same day.
Recovery
What to expect afterwards
First 48 hours
Close review, often the following morning. Instructions on positioning, activity and air travel are given to you in writing.
First month
Healing is monitored to confirm the eye has stabilised, particularly after retinal laser or a corneal injury.
Afterwards
The other eye is assessed too, since several of these conditions carry a raised risk on the fellow side.
Questions
Frequently asked
If your question is not answered here, it is welcome in consultation — or by message before you book.
Rinse immediately with clean water or saline for at least fifteen minutes, holding the lids open. Do not delay rinsing in order to travel. Then attend urgently, bringing the container with you if you can.