It sounds funny, but sometimes it can be hard to tell what an ocular emergency is. If you don’t want to go to the emergency room right now but you’re not sure if you’re experiencing an ocular emergency, we can help.
As a medical provider and an essential business, Theia Vision Care is available for you in the following ways during this pandemic:
- Telemedicine options with Dr. Koeck
- A one-on-one, in-person visit with Dr. Koeck
What’s an ocular emergency?
When you think of an eye emergency, what do you picture? A bloody, vision-loss nightmare? They don’t all look like that, which is why it’s important you know what they do look like – which can be deceiving.
The outside of the eye is very sensitive, so anything that gets in your eye from the outside hurts (hello pesky, little eyelashes!). It’s also obvious when the eye is red and painful. On the other hand, the inside of the eye has no pain receptors, so there may be swelling, bleeding, and even a hole or treat, and because it does NOT hurt, you may not realize it’s an emergency.
Everybody knows that we are in the middle of a viral pandemic, and how it’s extra important to be cautious of our personal hygiene and associated habits like hand-washing, face-touching, disinfecting common surfaces, and more, as they’re passages of transmission of the virus. Failure to stop our bad face-touching habits and wash our hands more often can result in contracting the virus.
Some of the most common eye emergencies seen at this time during the COVID-19 pandemic are:
- Pink eye
- Chemical burn to the eye (cleaning supplies)
- Flashes of light and/or floaters
- Eyelid twitch
- Itchy eyes
- Red ”bleeding” eye
- Burning, gritty, dry eyes
What should you do if you experience one?
If you ever have questions about the condition of your vision and/or eye health, do not hesitate to contact us for help. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to protecting your vision. We are only going to discuss the most common eye emergencies in this blog, but please note that it’s not by any means a comprehensive list.
Bottom line: if you are concerned about the state of your vision or eyes, do not hesitate to reach out for help. It’s always better to be safe than sorry – especially with your vision and precious eyes!
Pink Eye Warning
If you have pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, please don’t overlook this otherwise common infection at this time. This condition can be caused by a virus and associated with COVID-19. Pink eye can be the first sign of COVID-19 in asymptomatic patients before other, more commonly known symptoms set in. Severe conjunctivitis, or red eye, can look like a bad contact lens allergy, but can also be the first manifestation of COVID-19.
Please don’t overlook a pink or red eye at this time, and don’t hesitate to contact us for help! If you have any other questions, as always, we are here to help.
With sincerest wishes for your continued support and good health and happiness, we remain at your service.
- Theia Vision Care Team