Ocular Emergency Management (Foreign Body Removal)

Ocular Emergencies: When to See Your Optometrist Urgently

Don’t Wait – Your Vision is Our Priority!

When an eye emergency strikes, knowing who to call can make all the difference to your vision. Many acute eye conditions and injuries can be promptly and effectively managed by your local optometrist, often preventing the need for an emergency room visit.

At our Dalby & Chinchilla practice, our optometrists are equipped and qualified to diagnose and manage a wide range of ocular emergencies in Australia.

Common Ocular Emergencies We Manage:

Our team can provide urgent care for:

• Corneal Foreign Body Removal:

  • What it is: A piece of dust, grit, metal, or other debris lodged on the surface of your eye (cornea) or under the eyelid.
  • Symptoms: Sudden pain, irritation, redness, watering, light sensitivity, feeling like something is “in” your eye.
  • How we help: We can safely and precisely remove the foreign body using specialized instruments and provide appropriate aftercare to prevent infection and promote healing.

• Red Eye & Infections (Microbial Conjunctivitis & Keratitis):

  • What they are:
    
    • Microbial Conjunctivitis: An infection of the clear membrane covering the white of your eye and inner eyelids, often bacterial or viral.
    • Keratitis: A more serious infection or inflammation of the cornea itself.
  • Symptoms: Redness, discharge (watery, sticky, or pus-like), grittiness, burning, irritation, light sensitivity, blurry vision (especially with keratitis), swelling.
  • How we help: We diagnose the type of infection and can prescribe appropriate antibiotic or antiviral eye drops to treat it and prevent complications.

• Sudden Floaters, Flashes, or Vision Loss (Possible Retinal Detachment):

  • What it is: The retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye) pulling away from its normal position. This is a sight-threatening emergency.
  • Symptoms: A sudden increase in new floaters (specks, cobwebs), flashes of light (like lightning or camera flashes, often in peripheral vision), or a curtain-like shadow obscuring part of your vision.
  • How we help: This requires immediate, urgent assessment. We can perform a dilated eye exam to inspect your retina. If a detachment is suspected, we will provide an urgent referral to an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) for potentially sight-saving treatment.

• Sudden or Severe Headaches (Ocular Connection):

  • What it is: While many headaches are not eye-related, some can be a symptom of acute eye conditions, including acute angle-closure glaucoma (a sudden, severe increase in eye pressure) or other neurological issues impacting vision.
  • Symptoms: Sudden, intense headache (often around the eye/forehead), eye pain, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, halos around lights.
  • How we help: We conduct a thorough eye examination, including checking eye pressure and optic nerve health, to determine if the headache has an ocular cause and provide appropriate management or urgent referral.

Why Choose Your Optometrist for Eye Emergencies?

• Expertise: Optometrists are highly trained primary eye care providers.
• Equipped: We have the diagnostic tools (slit lamps, ophthalmoscopes, tonometers) to accurately assess eye emergencies.
• Accessibility: Often more accessible than emergency rooms, potentially saving you long wait times.
• Direct Management: We can directly prescribe medications and manage many conditions.
• Specialist Referral: If a condition requires surgical or highly specialized medical care, we provide immediate, appropriate referrals to ophthalmologists.

What to Do in an Eye Emergency:

1. Call Our Dalby or Chinchilla Practice Immediately: Explain your symptoms clearly.
2. Avoid Self-Treating: Do not rub your eye, apply unprescribed drops, or try to remove foreign bodies yourself.
3. After-Hours/Severe Trauma: If our practice is closed or if you experience severe trauma (e.g., chemical burn, penetrating injury), proceed directly to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Your vision is precious. In an eye emergency, trust the experts at our Dalby and Chinchilla practice for prompt and professional care.