Things That Scare Optometrists - And What To Do If You Ever Have Them

Spooky season is upon us here in Westlake! Take a look at a few of the things that scare your local eye doctors and read about what you should do if you ever experience any of them. 

Foreign Body & Ocular Injury 

Ocular injury can happen for many reasons and describes an item coming at or into the eye  which causes damage to the eye’s structures. A foreign body is anything that enters and gets stuck in the eye. Foreign bodies are not always super scary for us optometrists, but  they are definitely something that should be seen rather urgently. We see them frequently with welders and mechanics, who can get small pieces of metal in the eyes. These foreign  bodies will not go away on their own and do require special expertise to remove them. If left within the eye, they can cause inflammation and irritation. 

Symptoms you might notice after feeling something fly into the eye: 

• Pain 

• Redness 

• Irritation 

• Light sensitivity 

• Discharge 

What you should do if you have an injury to the eye or a possible foreign body: • Get scheduled to see your optometrist as soon as possible. Problems like this should be seen same day to improve comfort and minimize damage to the eye.  

Here at Eyes on Dover, we have specialized tools to help remove foreign bodies and can  help the eye feel a lot better! 

Sleeping in Contacts 

Sleeping in your contacts may not seem like a big deal to you - but it is a big deal to your eye  doctor! Contact lenses are medical devices and should be used as directed. Because contacts go directly on your eye, they carry the potential to introduce bacteria, and bacterial infections, to your eyes. Sleeping in contacts also greatly reduces the amount of oxygen that your eyes receive and that itself can cause complications that may reduce your vision. 

Symptoms you might notice after sleeping in your contacts: 

• Pain 

• Redness 

• Light sensitivity 

• Discharge 

• White spot on the eye 

What you should do: 

• Remove the contacts immediately and call your eye doctor immediately. You should be seen same day to get treatment in order to preserve vision.  

Costume Contacts 

While we’re talking about contacts, let’s touch on costume contacts. These types of contacts are unregulated and can pose risk of infection to the eyes. Any brand of contact lens that you try should always be evaluated for how they fit, as improperly fitting lenses can cause complications. This is so important that a contact lens prescription is written for  a specific brand- they are not interchangeable because each lens can fit the eyes  differently. Your vision is valuable, and you only get two eyes! We recommend not risking  your vision just to have a fun accessory for a night. 

Symptoms you might notice: 

• Pain 

• Redness 

• Light sensitivity 

• Discharge 

What you should do: 

• We recommend not wearing costume contacts at all! But if you have any of the above symptoms, or something doesn’t seem right, remove the contacts immediately and call your eye doctor right away. You should be seen same day to be evaluated. 

Flashes & Floaters

Seeing flashes of light in your vision and new floaters is an ocular emergency. This often is a  sign that there is a retinal detachment or tear, which can lead to permanent vision loss if  not treated promptly.  

Symptoms you might notice: 

• Flashing lights, like a camera flash coming from behind 

• Hundreds of new floaters that come across your vision 

• A curtain coming across your vision 

• A dark spot in your vision that is new and does not go away 

What you should do: 

• Call your eye doctor immediately for a same-day appointment. Treating a retinal detachment is time-sensitive and the sooner you get treatment, the better chances you have of preserving vision. 

At Eyes on Dover, we offer same-day emergency appointments to evaluate your eyes and  get you the necessary treatment or referrals promptly. 

Sudden Double Vision 

Double vision is often a difficult symptom to work with and can be hard on both the patient  and doctor alike! There are many causes for double vision, some being easily treatable and  others requiring additional testing to rule out serious diseases. Double vision that starts  suddenly, however, can indicate more serious causes and should be evaluated urgently. 

Symptoms you might notice: 

• Seeing two separate objects side by side or one above the other 

What you should do: 

• Call your eye doctor for an urgent evaluation 

Vision problems can be scary, but with prompt evaluation we can provide an appropriate diagnosis and treatment to help reduce long-term complications and try to improve visual  outcomes. 

Give our office a call at 440-256-6894 if you are noticing any of these symptoms and we’ll get you scheduled for an evaluation!

And if it’s been a while since you’ve had an eye exam, we’d be happy to schedule your comprehensive eye exam to get everything back on track!