When Is It Bad Enough to See an Emergency Eye Doctor?

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If you have an eye-related emergency, you might just go to your nearest urgent care or emergency room. However, you should know that emergency eye doctors are available in the Wilmington area, and they can offer specialized care based on your symptoms. Seeing a regular doctor or medical professional can certainly help address the problem, but you may need someone who has more direct experience with your individual symptoms.

So just how bad is bad enough? We’ll look at when it’s time to call someone immediately.

Injuries and Accidents

In some cases, there’s no question of whether you need emergency eye care. For instance, if you’ve broken your glasses and you need them to see, you don’t really have the luxury of waiting. However, experts also recommend going to the eye doctor in the following cases:

  • High-impact injury to the eye (e.g., punch, etc.)
  • Sudden loss of vision (e.g., blurriness, etc.)
  • Changes in vision (e.g. flashes of light, floaters, etc.)
  • Sudden and severe headaches related to vision
  • Eye scratches
  • Swollen eyes
  • Eye infections

Merely having dry or itchy eyes wouldn’t be enough to warrant a trip to the emergency eye doctor, though you will still want to schedule an appointment for a regular checkup if you’re experiencing any kind of discomfort.

Call an Expert

You should at least call an expert if you’re concerned about your eyes. For instance, you may not know you have a scratched cornea, but it will typically be accompanied by severe pain in the eye. An expert can tell you more about whether it makes sense to wait or take action. Seeing an optometrist for eye emergencies in Wilmington, NC can also make it easier to catch smaller problems before they turn into bigger issues.