When to Call the Same Day
Most eye problems can wait for a scheduled visit. The ones on this page should not. If you have any of them, call the office the same day, and say what you are experiencing so the staff can get you seen. The phone numbers are on the Contact page. After hours, call your office number and follow the instructions.
If you cannot reach anyone and the problem is severe, go to an emergency room.
Sudden changes in vision
- Sudden loss or blurring of vision in one eye
- A curtain, shadow or dark area in part of your vision
- Straight lines that suddenly look bent or wavy in one eye
- Sudden double vision
Call 911 if a sudden change in vision comes with weakness, numbness, a drooping face, trouble speaking or a severe headache. These can be signs of a stroke.
Flashes and floaters
- A sudden shower of new floaters
- Flashes of light, like a camera flash at the edge of your vision
- Either of these followed by a shadow or curtain
A few long-standing floaters are normal. A sudden change can mean a tear in the retina, which is treatable when caught early.
A painful or red eye
- Eye pain with nausea, halos around lights and a red eye. This can be an attack of angle-closure glaucoma.
- Severe eye pain, with or without redness
- A red, painful eye with light sensitivity or reduced vision, especially if you wear contact lenses
After surgery or laser
Some aching, redness and blur are expected at first, and each procedure page describes what is normal. Call the same day if you have:
- Pain that is getting worse rather than better
- Vision that gets worse after it had started to improve
- Increasing redness, or discharge from the eye
- New flashes, a shower of floaters, or a curtain over part of your vision
- Light sensitivity that develops after the first few days
Injuries
- A chemical splashed in the eye: rinse with clean water right away for at least 15 minutes, then get emergency care. Do not wait to call first.
- Something has cut or pierced the eye: do not press on it or try to remove anything. Cover it loosely and go to an emergency room.
- A hard blow to the eye with pain, reduced vision or blood visible in the eye
Not sure?
If something about your eye or your vision has changed suddenly and you are worried, call. It is always fine to ask.