Emergency Eye Care

Knowing when to seek emergency eye care in New Albany, MS, is difficult. When it comes to something as important as your sight, we tell patients to contact us anytime they notice significant changes or an issue arises suddenly.

Common Eye Emergencies

Eye and vision emergencies can take many different forms. Below are brief descriptions of some of the emergency services we provide most often. Remember that Dr. Michael Weeden has years of experience treating people who need emergency eye care. He can manage most situations, even if you do not see your specific problem listed here.

Accidents and traumatic eye injuries

Burns and foreign objects becoming lodged in the eye can happen within seconds. According to the American Optometric Association, people who have experienced a burn or any type of injury should reach out for help right away if they have any of these symptoms:

• Double vision
• Light sensitivity
• Swelling
• Redness
• Pain

Please resist the urge to try to treat the issue yourself at home and contact us immediately. The longer the burn or injury goes untreated, the more likely it is you could suffer partial or full vision loss.

If you have sudden visual changes, it could indicate a new defect with your cornea or retina. Prompt treatment is necessary to avoid the risk of vision loss. When retinal detachment occurs, you will see floating spots or flashing lights in your line of sight.

Visual changes can also occur after a stroke, nerve damage, or other conditions impacting communication between the eyes and brain. Patients sometimes assume these are permanent visual changes that eye doctors cannot correct. However, vision improvement is often possible with prompt treatment.

Temporal arteritis is a serious condition that requires immediate care. Please contact us right away if you notice any of the symptoms below.

• Blurry vision
• Fever
• Headache
• Hip pain
• Pain after chewing
• Temple pain

Remember that vision changes are not normal. It is better to be safe than sorry when you notice moderate to significant changes.

Bulging eyes

The most typical reasons for developing bulging eyes include Grave’s disease, an abnormality of the blood vessels behind the eyes, bacterial infections, and tumors. Bulging eyes always require prompt treatment, especially if the problem developed suddenly.

Miscellaneous symptoms

When certain eye symptoms appear, you may not know what the problem is. Please contact us as soon as possible if you have any of the symptoms below.

• Bleeding or bruising around the eyes
• Blood present in the whites of your eyes
• Burning or stinging
• Discharge from eyes
• Double vision
• Eyes don’t move together
• Light sensitivity
• Severe itching
• Sudden or severe headaches

Please do not hesitate to call anytime or come into Weeden Eye Clinic during office hours to seek emergency eye care in New Albany, MS.