Emergency Eye Care

Most doctors recommend that you get a routine eye exam once a year, but there are times when you may need emergency eye care. At Ideal EyeCare, our emergency eye doctors in Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa are here to help. If you believe you need urgent eye care, do not hesitate to contact us.

Signs Someone Needs Urgent Eye Care

An eye emergency can include a variety of problems or conditions. It typically requires the attention of an emergency ophthalmologist or optometrist to diagnose the issue and create a treatment plan. If ignored, the problem may get worse and lead to serious as well as permanent damage to vision or the eyes.

Some common problems that require visiting an emergency optometrist include:

  • Something stuck in the eye
  • Sudden change or loss of vision
  • Double vision
  • Bloodshot or red eyes
  • Burning, stinging, or itchy eyes
  • Intense sensitivity to light
  • Bleeding or bruising around the eyes
  • Abnormal eye movement
  • Eye discharge

These symptoms could be a sign of anything from a common eye infection to serious damage to an eye structure. Because it is hard to know what the issue is until it is checked out, it is important to get immediate eye care at the first sign of a problem.

In some cases, the problem may also be progressive or contagious to others. To keep the eye condition from getting worse while you wait to see one of our emergency optometrists, you should take some precautions:

  • Do not try to remove something from your eye on your own.
  • Wash your hands in case you are contagious.
  • Do not drive yourself if your vision is impaired.
  • Avoid touching or rubbing your eye.

All of these safety measures could keep you from accidentally making the situation worse.

Our Emergency Eye Care

Because these eye conditions can arise without warning, we offer emergency eye care in Council Bluffs and Omaha. When you come in, we will perform an emergency eye exam to try to get a better understanding of what is happening with your eyes and diagnose the problem.

The exact tests your eye doctor performs will depend on the specific issue with some conditions involving more tests than others. Once a diagnosis is made, your doctor will develop a treatment plan. In some cases, you may just need eye drops and will likely have a speedy recovery. Other treatment plans may be more involved, and the problem may take longer to go away. In the case of a disease that cannot be entirely healed, your doctor will outline an eye disease management plan to help you take preventive measures to slow down the progression of the disease.

If you believe you or someone you care about may be in need of emergency eye care, do not wait to ask for help. At Ideal EyeCare, we are here to assist you with every step from diagnosis to recovery. Contact us today.