Your vision is irreplaceable. When something goes wrong with your eyes, knowing where to seek help and how quickly can make the difference between preserving your sight and facing permanent vision loss.
Not every eye problem requires a trip to the emergency room, but some absolutely do. Research shows that nearly half of emergency room visits for eye issues could be better handled at an urgent care facility or ophthalmology office. At the same time, certain eye emergencies can cause irreversible damage within minutes to hours if not treated immediately.
This guide helps you understand which eye problems demand immediate ER care, which can wait for urgent care or same-day appointments, and what steps to take while getting help. As your San Diego eye care team at Clearview, we want you equipped to make the right call when every minute counts.
An eye emergency is any sudden or severe condition that threatens your vision or requires immediate medical action to prevent permanent damage. Research from emergency departments shows that only about 13% of patients presenting with eye complaints actually have true emergencies, while 60% have relative emergencies and 27% have non-urgent conditions.
What it looks like: Any rapid decrease in vision, partial or complete, in one or both eyes. This could be a blackout, severe blurriness, a shadow moving across your vision, or a curtain blocking part of your view.
Why it's serious: Sudden vision loss can signal retinal detachment, retinal artery or vein blockage, optic nerve damage, or stroke affecting your visual system. More than 7 million Americans experience sudden vision loss annually.
What to do: Call 911 or get to the nearest ER immediately. Don't wait to see if it improves. Even if vision returns on its own, you still need emergency evaluation. Temporary vision loss can signal an impending stroke or other serious condition.
Time window: With conditions like central retinal artery occlusion (eye stroke), you have as little as 90 minutes before damage becomes permanent.
What it looks like: Any household cleaner, industrial chemical, or unknown substance splashed in your eye. Common culprits include bleach, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, fertilizers, cement, and battery acid.
Why it's serious: Alkali burns can penetrate through eye tissues within minutes, causing permanent damage. Chemical burns are among the most time-sensitive eye emergencies.
Critical detail: Don't wait to identify the chemical. Start flushing immediately. Every second counts. Studies show that immediate irrigation before medical care significantly improves outcomes.
Why it's serious: Penetrating injuries can rupture the eyeball, damage internal structures, and cause infection or permanent vision loss.
Why it's serious: This combination often signals acute angle-closure glaucoma, which can cause permanent vision loss within hours if untreated. It occurs when fluid can't drain from the eye, causing pressure to spike suddenly. Pressure can sometimes reach 30 mmHg or higher (normal is 10 to 21 mmHg).
What to do: Get to the ER immediately. This is a true emergency requiring immediate pressure-lowering treatment and often same-day surgery.
Time window: Even a few hours' delay can cause chronic glaucoma, permanent retinal damage, optic nerve death, and blindness.
Why it's serious: Blunt trauma can cause internal bleeding, retinal detachment, globe rupture, or orbital fractures. Even seemingly minor trauma can hide serious internal damage.
Why it's serious: Retinal detachment separates the retina from its blood supply. Without oxygen and nutrients, retinal cells die quickly. If not reattached soon, you can lose vision permanently.
What to do: Get to the ER or call your ophthalmologist for emergency evaluation within 24 hours. Sooner is better. Retinal detachment is painless, so don't let the lack of pain fool you into thinking it's not urgent.
Time window: While you have a bit more time than with some emergencies, delays of even a day or two can worsen outcomes and make surgery more complicated.
When urgent care works: If it's a small particle like dust, dirt, an eyelash, or a small piece of debris on the surface, not embedded.
When you need the ER instead: If the object is embedded, you can see it stuck in the eye, it's metal or glass, or you can't flush it out with water.
What to do first: Try flushing with clean water for several minutes. If that doesn't work, go to urgent care or your eye doctor.
When urgent care works: Simple scratches from fingernails, paper, or makeup brushes that aren't deep.
When you need higher-level care: Scratches from dirty objects, organic material (tree branches, plants), animal claws, or scratches with worsening pain.
Why it matters: Corneal abrasions can become infected. They heal better with proper treatment including antibiotic drops and sometimes protective contact lenses.
When urgent care works: Mild to moderate conjunctivitis (pink eye), styes, or minor infections.
When you need the ER: Severe pain, vision changes, cellulitis (infection of tissues around the eye with significant swelling and redness), or infection with fever.
Why same-day care matters: This can be an early warning sign of retinal detachment or a retinal tear. Catching it early can prevent full detachment.
What to do: Call your ophthalmologist for an urgent same-day dilated eye exam. If it's after hours, follow their emergency instructions or go to the ER.
Hospital choice matters: If possible, choose an ER with ophthalmology services or that's connected to an eye specialty center. They'll have better equipment and specialists on call.
Ask yourself these questions:
Is my vision affected?
Is the pain severe?
Was there trauma or chemical exposure?
Is there visible damage, bleeding, or something embedded?
Are there sudden new symptoms like floaters, flashes, or shadows?
If you answered yes to any of these, seek immediate care. When in doubt, call our emergency line or go to the ER. It's better to have a false alarm than to delay treatment for a serious problem.
Urgent care facilities often lack:
For true sight-threatening emergencies, specialized ophthalmology care is crucial.
A few existing floaters are normal. But sudden onset of many new floaters, especially with flashes of light, requires same-day evaluation. If you also see a shadow or curtain, go to the ER immediately. That signals possible retinal detachment.
Call our emergency line at (858) 452-3937. We can help you determine the urgency and guide you to the right level of care. Many eye conditions sound scarier than they are, while others seem minor but need immediate attention. We'd rather talk you through it than have you guess.
For chemical burns, yes absolutely. Don't delay flushing while looking for sterile saline. Tap water is fine and every second counts. For other situations like removing particles, clean tap water or saline solution both work.
Even temporary vision loss (called transient vision loss or amaurosis fugax) requires emergency evaluation. It can signal an impending stroke or serious eye condition that will worsen without treatment. Go to the ER or call us immediately.
Depends on the severity and accompanying symptoms:
Often, yes, especially for follow-up care. The ER stabilizes emergencies and provides initial treatment, then refers you to an ophthalmologist. For conditions during business hours, calling us first can save you time and money. We can often provide definitive treatment in one visit.
At work and home:
For your eye health:
If you wear contacts:
Eye emergencies can happen suddenly and without warning. Knowing when to seek immediate care versus scheduling an appointment can save your vision. Here's a quick summary:
Go to the ER immediately: Chemical burns, sudden vision loss, penetrating injuries, severe pain with vision changes, retinal detachment symptoms, eye trauma with visible damage
Same-day urgent care or call your ophthalmologist: Foreign objects, corneal scratches, eye infections, sudden new floaters/flashes, temporary vision loss
Schedule regular appointment: Mild irritation, gradual vision changes, simple stye, dry eye, glasses prescription needs
When in doubt, call us: Clearview Eye and Laser Medical Center offers 24/7 emergency consultation at (858) 452-3937. We're here to help you determine the right course of action and preserve your vision.
Your eyes are precious and irreplaceable. Don't take chances with your vision. Quick action can make all the difference between preserving your sight and facing permanent loss. We're here to help. Day or night.
