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Eye emergencies    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Definition:

Any condition, which if untreated, may lead to visual loss. Eye emergencies include chemical exposure, cuts, scratches, foreign bodies in the eye, burns, and blunt injuries to the eye.

Considerations

It is important to get medical attention for all significant eye problems. Since the eye is easily damaged, a delay in getting medical attention can cause permanent eye damage and loss of sight.

Many eye problems that are not due to injury (such as a painful red eye) have no appropriate first aid, but do need urgent medical attention.

Chemical injury to the eye can be caused by an occupational accident or by common household products such as cleaning solutions, garden chemicals, solvents, or many other types of chemicals. Fumes and aerosols can also cause chemical burns.

With acidic burns, the hazing of the cornea often clears with a good chance of recovery. Alkaline substances such as lime, lye, commercial drain cleaners, and sodium hydroxide found in refrigeration equipment present great danger of permanent corneal damage. Ongoing damage may occur in spite of prompt treatment. Risk factors are exposure to these chemicals.

A foreign body such as dust or sand can enter the eye at any time. Certain occupations such as metal or wood working may have a higher risk. The injury may be limited to the conjunctiva and the cornea, or it may affect the sclera.

Persistent pain and redness are indicators that professional treatment is needed. A foreign body may be a threat to sight if the object enters the eye itself or damages the cornea or lens.  Foreign bodies propelled at high speed by machining, grinding, or hammering metal on metal present the highest risk.

A black eye is usually caused by direct trauma to the eye or face. Certain types of skull fractures can result in bruising around the eyes, even in the absence of direct trauma to the eye(s). Bleeding under the skin causes a bruise and the discoloration associated with it.

The tissue surrounding the eye turns black and blue, and then it gradually becomes purple, green, and yellow before the abnormal coloring disappears within 2 weeks. Usually, swelling of the eyelid and tissue around the eye occurs as well.

Occasionally, serious damage to the eye itself occurs from the pressure of the swollen tissue. Bleeding inside the eye can reduce vision, cause glaucoma, or damage the cornea. Accidents, occupational injuries, sports injuries, and violence are some of the risk factors associated with black eyes.

Causes

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