Emergency Eye Care

Who do you see and where do you go, when you have something in your eye or your vision changes quickly?

An Optometrist?

An Opthamologist?

A GP?

The Emergency Department at the Hospital?

Our optometrists are available 6 days a week and will 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 fit in an eye emergency – even out of hours if necessary

Foreign Body Removal

Our four therapeutically trained optometrists are all skilled users of a piece of equipment called a Slit Lamp.

The photo below was taken using a slit lamp, it allows our optometrists to view the eye up close, under high magnification and illumination to view foreign objects or foreign bodies in the eye. This picture shows an embedded ‘rust ring’ in a patient’s cornea. This is caused by a metal fragment getting into and lodging in the cornea. We remove the metal fragment, as well as the rust ring that is left behind. As the cornea is mostly made out of water, metal can quickly rust and cause toxicity. By using a short acting local anaesthetic eye drop, the rust ring was removed quickly and painlessly.

The most common foreign material that we remove from patient’s eyes are metal, rust, grass seeds, paint, wood, sand particles, eyelashes and even insect legs. We also often see corneal abrasions (scratches) caused by foreign materials getting trapped under the eyelids and scratching the eye’s surface during a blink.

Important

1. Always wear safety glasses when using power tools or in dusty environments and sunglasses outdoors especially if it’s windy.
2. Flush your eye out immediately with water if you get something in it
3. Call your optometrist, or go to your GP/ED if an optometrist is not available

If our optometrists are unable to remove a foreign object or if it requires surgery, they are able to organise a referral and an appointment with a local eye specialist if necessary.

Our optometrists all have therapeutic capabilities meaning they are trained in foreign body removal, and can prescribe medications such as anti-inflammatory/steroid eye drops and antibiotics if necessary following foreign body removal.

Rust Ring using Slit Lamp – Neilson Eyecare

Sudden Changes to Vision or Pain

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should be seen immediately.

• Eye pain
• Red/sore eyes – especially if you are a contact lens wearer
• Sudden blurred vision
• Loss of vision
• Development of a blind spot in your vision
• Floating spots in your vision (floaters)
• Flashes of light like lightening
• Curtains or ‘spiderwebs’ across your vision
• Ulcer on the eye
• Herpes/Shingles in the eye
• Retinal detachment or tear symptoms

Retinal Detachment – Neilson Eyecare