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Do You Have An Eye Emergency?
Dr. Alan B. Schlussel and Dr. Christine Law and their friendly eye care staff are conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan and always willing to help. Providing the highest standard of eye care for eye emergencies, over the years they have grown to become the first choice for eye emergency eye care for both residents of Manhattan as well as visitors exploring our exciting city. An eye emergency can be scary, many patients don’t know if they should visit an Optometrist or go to an emergency room. We encourage anyone who has concerns with their eyes to give us a call and our friendly and knowledgeable staff will provide the best advise for your emergency.
Do You Have Pink Eye?
Pink Eye is normally due to an eye infection and is extremely contagious. Don't delay seeking medical care from your eye doctor. Bacterial pink eye requires antibiotics, and with proper treatment will stop being infectious twenty four hours after beginning the medication.
Do You Have A Scratched Eye?
The most common form of eye injuries are corneal abrasions, or when you have scratched your eye. In many cases this can occur by rubbing excessively when something is stuck in your eyes. Because even a small scratch can lead to an infection or fungus, it is important to see your eye doctor as soon as possible.
Is Something Stuck In Your Eye?
A foreign body in the eye is very uncomfortable, but most of the time it can be removed without needing to see an eye doctor (see below for tips). However if you are concerned about being unable to remove it, or that it is something more dangerous such as glass or a chemical, call us immediately.
Common Eye Emergencies
Sore, Red, Or Itchy Eyes:
If you are experiencing sore or itchy eyes, you are not alone. In most cases these are symptoms of an eye allergy, which while uncomfortable, do not pose major danger to your eyes well being. While that may provide some relief from stress, it doesn’t make the symptoms any less unpleasant and can make a fun holiday or business trip unbearable. Our optometrists have extensive experience in treating eye allergies.
Eye allergies are by far the most common reason for these symptoms, however there are other potential reasons you are experiencing this discomfort. If you have left in contact lenses for too long, these symptoms may occur. If these symptoms are accompanied by a feeling of burning or red eyelids, it may indicate dry eyes disease, MGD, or Blepharitis, call our practice or visit our Dry Eye Center for more information.
Pink Eye:
Pink eye is very common, and in most situation poses little long term danger. The most common concern with pink eye is its highly infectious nature. Pink eye can be attributed to a number of underlying causes including; a virus, a bacterial infection, dry eyes disease, a reaction to chemicals, eye eye allergies.
Both Bacterial and Viral conjunctivitis have similar symptoms, and last between 1-3 weeks. Bacterial pink eye is treated with antibiotics, whereas viral pink eye is not and requires staying home until symptoms clear up, typically 3-5 days before returning to work or school.
There is a long list of other potential causes to your eye being red, and it is recommended to visit an eye doctor if you are concerned.
Our Midtown Manhattan Office
Research has shown that most emergency room visits for eye emergencies could have been done at an experienced optometrist. Because of our location, our eye doctors are highly experienced in treating a wide range of eye emergencies. Our office uses the latest technology to digitally scan the front surface of the eye as well as the back layers to asses virtually every eye injury. Whether you are visiting Manhattan or live in the area, we are happy to provide you with the highest level of medical eye care available.
We Treat The Following Eye Emergencies:
- Sudden Vision Loss
- Eye floaters
- Eye Infections and Pink Eye
- Foreign Body Removal (removing things stuck in the eye)
- Eye injuries and cuts to the eye
- Painful, itchy, red, dry, or uncomfortable eyes
- Emergency contact lens and glasses
How To Remove Something Stuck In Your Eye:
We receive a lot of calls about removing something stuck in your eye (foreign body removal). In most cases this can be done from the comfort of your own home. If you are having difficulty removing it, are concerned that the object is dangerous such as chemicals, glass, or wood splinters, call our practice to schedule and emergency appointment. Our eye doctor’s office is equipped with special equipment that allow us to identify and take out an object stuck in the eye.
How to remove a stuck object from your eye yourself:
- Vigorously wash your hands with soap and water, this applies to others who are helping you as well.
- Have a friend try to find the object or if you are alone use a mirror.
- Try blinking as tears and natural lubricant in your eyes may wash it out.
- Attempt to flush out the object with water at room temperature. You can pour the water from cup or bottle, or use a slowly running faucet or shower. Make sure you wait enough time so that a size-able amount of water has been used.
- Gently pull your upper eyelid over your lower eyelid and roll your eyes.
- Use a sterile cotton swab and gently wipe the inner corners of your eye. Make sure to focus your eyes on the opposite direction of where you feel the object.
Never rub your eyes as this may cause scratches to your eye which can lead to infection or worse. Never try to self treat a chemical that went in your eye. In the event of a chemical, quickly wash the eye for 15 minutes under a faucet and call your eye doctor to find out what to do for the chemical that you were exposed to.
Eye Styes:
Our Midtown NYC optomterists provide treatment for a wide variety of eye emergencies including Styes.
What is a Stye in the Eye?
A stye looks like a pimple on or under the eye lid that is caused by an infection of the glands in the eye due to staphylococcal bacteria.
Why are the symptoms of a stye?
The first symptoms of a stye is a small pimple accompanied by pain or swelling of the immediate area of the pimple or the whole eyelid.
Why is it important to visit an optometrist when you have a stye?
A stye in your eye usually goes away on its own, however because styes are highly contagious, our optometrists recommend visiting as soon as possible to lower the chance of it spreading to those around you. Furthermore, many patients in our Midtown practice find having a pimple in their eye unattractive and uncomfortable.
Does a stye affect my vision?
Typically a stye itself does not cause vision loss, however some styes are accompanied by other eye related health issues that can affect vision.
Can I treat a Stye at home?
In many cases putting warm compress for 15 minutes a day will help the healing process. It is critical that the patient be extra careful to wash their hands any time they touch their eye to avoid spreading the stye to others. Our optometrists recommend that you never pop the stye/pimple as that can lead to further complications.
What are other kinds of bumps in the eye?
A Chalazia bump or chalazion is a bigger blocked oil gland in the eye that is often confused with a stye. Unlike a stye, the chalazia bump will tend to stay for a few months, although the treatment is usually the same as with a stye.