Contact Lens Related Emergencies Pain Light Sensitivity Blurred or Decreased Vision Unusual and/or New Onset of: Redness Burning Irritation Foreign Body Sensation If you cannot get your contact lenses out:  stop trying and call the office or after hours emergency number.  If the contact lens fell out and you are trying to remove a contact lens that is not there, you may damage your eye.  Each day the trial contact lenses should feel better.  If they feel worse and your eyes are irritated, take out the contacts and call the office.

Emergency Eye Conditions Chemical Burns:  Immediately begin rinsing/irrigating the eye with sterile saline or tap water.  Have another person call help while continuing to rinse.  If you are alone, rinse for at least 10 minutes before calling for help.  Foreign Bodies (Metallic & Otherwise):  Immediately try to rinse the eye with sterile saline or tap water.  This may prevent the substance from embedding into the eye surfaces.  In the event of a penetrating injury to the eye, do not rinse as it may introduce pathogens to internal structures of the eye.  Retinal Detachment Symptoms may include flashes of light, a curtain or shadow moving over the field of vision, peripheral or central vision loss, or both. Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma Symptoms may include pain, blurred vision, colored halos (glare) around lights, frontal headache, nausea and/or vomiting. Corneal Infections Symptoms may include tearing, swelling, red eye, mild to severe eye pain, light sensitivity, discharge, foreign body sensation, itching, burning, or sudden contact lens intolerance. Some types of corneal (front of the eye) infections include:  bacterial keratitis, fungal keratitis, acanthamoeba keratitis, viral keratitis, herpetic keratitis, interstitial keratitis, corneal ulcers and others.  The front of the eye is similar to the skin, in that it has different layers.  The superficial layers will regenerate, however the penetration of deeper layers may result in scarring.  In the event that a corneal infection is allowed to infiltrate deeper into the corneal layers, it will leave a scar.  A scar on the front of your eye, may result in non-correctable* blurred or lost vision if it is in your line of sight.  For this reason, corneal infections are considered true emergencies (some infections can cause damage within a 24 hour period of time).  *Blurred vision that is not correctable with the use of optical lenses. OTHERS TO BE ADDED IN THE FUTURE!