Eye Care When You Need It Most

Eye emergencies are medical emergencies. At Sun Valley Eye Care, we provide emergency eye care when you need it. We can treat many ocular emergencies, from trauma or injury to medical conditions.

The eyes are delicate, so an injury or new symptom, no matter how seemingly minor, can lead to vision loss or even blindness. Obtaining treatment rapidly can save your eyesight. Call us immediately if you sustain an injury or exhibit symptoms of an eye disease. If we are unavailable, please call 911 or visit your local emergency room.

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Signs of an Eye Emergency

If you experience an eye emergency, please call us so that we can provide further advice as to what steps to take. In many cases, we can treat your condition in our office.

If you have any of the following symptoms or signs, please call us right away:

Bleeding or other discharge from the eye
Bruising (black eye)
Vision loss
Double vision
Eye pain
Headache
Itchy eyes
Loss of vision, total or partial, one or both eyes
Pupils of different sizes
Redness or a bloodshot appearance
Sensation of something in the eye
Sensitivity to light
Stinging or burning in the eye

Alberta Health Care Covers Eye Emergencies

Eye emergencies present an immediate risk to ocular health and vision. As a result, Alberta Health Care covers the cost of an emergency eye exam.

Should you require emergency treatment, please call us as soon as possible.

Common Causes of an Eye Emergency

Blunt Trauma

Trauma to the eye, eyelids, or delicate eye tissues can cause a black eye, cuts, or redness. It can also damage the eye itself, causing corneal lacerations, loosening of the eye’s lens, intraocular bleeding, or detachment of the retina.

If you have sustained trauma to the eye or its general area, you will need to seek care as soon as possible. Damage caused by blunt trauma can be internal, and a comprehensive exam will be needed to fully understand the extent of the damage.

Foreign Objects

Occasionally, foreign objects may enter the eye. Dust, eyelashes, or other debris can usually be flushed from the eyes by blinking and tears. Sometimes, however, a foreign body requires attention from an eye care professional.

Cuts and scratches (corneal abrasions) can become infected and may need prescription antibiotics to treat. Sharp, large, or foreign objects moving at rapid speeds can embed themselves in the eyes and should only be removed by a medical professional.

Chemical Burns

Chemical burns to the eyes can occur when a chemical substance comes into contact with delicate eye tissues. These injuries can range from mild to severe but always require professional intervention to reduce the risk to your vision and eye health.

The severity of the injury and style of treatment depends on the type of chemical.

Acid burns can cause superficial damage to the cornea (except for hydrofluoric acid burns, which require immediate medical attention) and can be sustained from everyday household items like vinegar, glass polish, nail polish remover, or battery acid.

Alkali burns are much more dangerous because alkalis penetrate more deeply into the eye tissues. They can be sustained from household, commercial, or industrial chemicals like lime products, oven and drain cleaners, ammonia-based cleaners, plaster and mortar, dishwasher powders, fertilizers, and sparks from sparklers.

Eye Diseases

Many eye diseases progress slowly and without symptoms, but can be diagnosed during a routine comprehensive eye exam. However, some eye diseases develop rapidly, posing immediate risk to your vision and eye health.

Eye diseases requiring immediate care include acute angle-closure glaucoma and wet macular degeneration. If you experience symptoms associated with either of these conditions, seek immediate medical assistance.

Symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma include:

Severe ocular pain and redness
Decreased vision
Coloured halos around lights
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting

Symptoms of wet macular degeneration include:

Straight lines look wavy or curved
Rapid central vision loss

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You can easily find our practice in the same building as the South Calgary Medical Clinic. Validated, accessible parking is available in front and beside the building.