It may be an obvious yes to some, but surprisingly many patients are unaware that their local optometrist is actually the first place they should pay a visit to when dealing with an eye emergency. Not a hospital. Since childhood, we have all had it ingrained in us that in a case of an emergency call 9-1-1, well not when it comes to your eyes. Your best bet is to see your optometrist. Why? Simply put, optometrists are trained to deal with all sorts of eye emergencies.
Dr. Sharma’s practice sees emergency cases on a regular basis. A recent such case helped save a patient’s vision!
“She came into our office because she was having trouble seeing in her left eye. Like many patients, she at first thought to wait and see if the symptoms would ‘go away on their own.’ Luckily her gut told her otherwise. Looking at the back of the affected eye, it was clear she was having a retinal detachment. I was able to send her to an ophthalmologist immediately, and he was able to preserve her central vision.”
Had she gone to the ER instead, she would likely have had to have waited far longer to see an eye specialist. Unfortunately, in cases of retinal detachment, time is of the essence.
What about a GP?
A GP will not have the appropriate tools to treat an eye emergency. This, in turn, means that you may be sent to a specialist when you really weren’t having an eye emergency, or lead you to an optometrist (which would have been your better choice in the first place)! An optometrist can best treat eye emergencies because they have the knowledge, tools, and the ability to refer to specialists on a priority basis.
Emergency cases are just that emergencies, and cannot be scheduled. A good reason why Dr. Sharma always allows time in his schedule for such cases. He ensures emergency walk-ins are treated as a first priority and seen as quickly as possible.
What is an Eye Emergency?
Not sure if you are having an eye emergency? Click here for a list of symptoms you should be aware of. Still not sure? Always give us a call, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your precious eyes.
If you want more information on this topic, book an appointment with Dr. Sharma. We would love to help you!