How to Find an Emergency Room for Eyes
The eyes are an extremely complex and delicate organ. Once you lose an eye, there is no replacing it. However, eyes are incredibly prone to injury. Whenever you have an eye problem, one of the things that you should consider doing is visit an ER such as Frontline ER. However, not all eye issues deserve to go to the ER. If you go to the ER and it turns out it was not an emergency, your insurer may not cover. Here are a few tips to help you determine when it is an emergency.
A foreign chemical entered the eye
If you work with chemicals and a dangerous chemical enters your eye, the fast action is to rinse it out with as much water as possible. After that, you must rush to the ER. If you do not get to the ER, your eye could be lost forever.
A sudden blow to the eye
If you are ever struck in the eye and you feel that the blow was significant enough to warrant an ER visit, do it. Do not wait until the pain becomes so much that you lose your eye. The doctor at the ER has the equipment to check the eye and determine what action to take.
Your vision starts to become blurred due to an infection
An eye infection such as pinkeye is usually not a cause for alarm. However, if you notice your eye start to lose vision, you need to go to the ER. Otherwise, what you think is simple pinkeye could turn out to be something much worse.
Bleeding in and around the eye
If the area around your eye or inside your eye starts bleeding, that is a good sign to go to the ER. This should be the case, even when you have not suffered any physical injury. It could be a sign of something worse that is happening inside your body.
Unexplained headaches that seem to radiate from the eyes
If you are having pain that will not just go away, feel free to rush to the ER. Do not wait until morning since you never know what could happen. An ER is open 24/7 and you will no doubt get the care that you deserve.
How to find the right ER
Finding an ER can be difficult especially when you are on a trip to an unfamiliar area. Here is what you can do about it:
Do prior research
If you are going to be visiting a new area, it is advisable that you conduct some research. This will help you identify areas where you can get emergency services. Ensure that you call these centers to confirm that they do exist. Sometimes, an ER may move to a new location or close down for renovations. However, they may not yet have updated their records to indicate their new location.
Ask at the hotel where you are staying
If you feel that you have an emergency, and you are in a hotel, ask them where you can get the help you need. A good hotel will most likely have a list of emergency rooms and the exact addresses that you can visit. Take your time and call each one to find out if they can be of help. For instance, one may tell you that they have a glut.
Call your ophthalmologist
If you are experiencing an eye emergency, get in touch with your ophthalmologist. He or she can help you find the right ER to visit for your emergency. Besides that, the ophthalmologist can call the ER to help you get speedy service. The nurse who does the assessment to determine who gets to see the doctor first may miss a crucial detail. Thus, you might have to keep waiting for hours.
Call the ambulance
An ambulance will drive you to the ER immediately. It is especially so if you have just been involved in an incident and your vision is blurred. The speed with which you are taken to the ER could just help to save your eyes. Alternatively, you can request someone to help you make the call to 911.
What to do for an eye injury
If you get foreign objects in your eyes such as wood chips or metal filings, do not try to remove them yourself. Go to the ER and have the doctor do it for you with special tools. However, if you have small objects in your eye such as dirt, you can always use a lot of water to remove them. In any instance, you should never try to rub your eye. It will only cause further agony.
Summary
Nobody would ever wish to have an eye emergency; it could mean partial or total blindness for the rest of your life. However, if you use these tips to find an ER, it could help save your eye. Read them and understand them in case you ever need an ER for your eyes.
