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Eye emergencies don’t wait for convenient office hours. Whether you’re experiencing sudden vision loss, severe eye pain, or a traumatic injury, having immediate access to specialized eye care can make the difference between preserving your vision and facing permanent damage. At Performance Eyecare, we understand that urgent eye conditions require prompt and expert attention. This is why our optometrists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to address your eye health emergencies.
Why Choose an Eye Specialist Over an Emergency Room?
When faced with an eye emergency, your first instinct might be to head to the nearest urgent care center or hospital emergency room. However, for eye-specific issues, visiting an optometrist is your best bet because it offers significant advantages. Our doctors specialize EXCLUSIVELY in eye health and have the specialized equipment, diagnostic tools, and expertise necessary to properly evaluate and treat ocular conditions. While emergency rooms excel at treating general medical emergencies, they lack the specialization needed for comprehensive eye examinations. Also consider this: eye care specialists aren’t immediately available at an urgent care or the emergency room. You’ll be delayed behind a line of people with wounds, broken bones, serious ailments, and countless other issues that will increase your wait time.
By contacting Performance Eyecare directly, you’ll receive faster, more targeted care from professionals who diagnose and treat eye conditions every day. This specialized attention is crucial in preventing complications and preserving your vision.
When to Seek Emergency Eye Care
Certain symptoms require immediate attention from an eye care professional. Reach out to Performance Eyecare right away if you experience any of the following:
Vision Changes: Sudden blurry vision, partial loss of vision, or the appearance of floaters, flashes of light, or dark spots in your visual field can indicate serious conditions requiring prompt treatment.
Eye Pain: Severe or persistent eye pain, particularly when accompanied by other symptoms, should never be ignored. This discomfort could signal infection, inflammation, or other urgent conditions.
Physical Trauma: Any injury to the eye whether from a foreign object, chemical exposure, or blunt force, requires rapid professional evaluation, even if the damage isn’t obvious right away.
Red or Irritated Eyes: While not all cases of eye redness constitute emergencies, severe redness, especially when combined with pain, discharge, or vision changes, warrants immediate attention.
Light Sensitivity: Unusual sensitivity to light can indicate inflammation, infection, or other underlying issues.
Discharge: An infection may be present if you notice excessive discharge that’s thick, colored, or occurs alongside pain or vision problems.
24/7 Access to Eye Care Professionals
Performance Eyecare’s commitment to your eye health extends beyond regular business hours. If you experience an eye emergency after normal office hours, help is just a phone call away:
- Missouri patients: Call 314-708-3388
- Illinois patients: Call 618-567-0744
One of our experienced doctors will be available to see you quickly, providing the specialized care your eyes need when time is of the essence. Watch Dr. Lyman explain our urgent eye care process in detail.
Common Eye Emergencies We Treat:
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
Pink eye is one of the most common and contagious eye conditions. This condition inflames the conjunctiva (the thin, clear layer covering the white of your eye), causing redness, irritation, and often sticky discharge. Whether caused by viruses, bacteria, allergies, or irritants, contagious pink eye requires fast treatment to prevent spreading and ease discomfort. Our optometrists can quickly diagnose the cause of your pink eye and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Scratched Corneas (Corneal Abrasions)
Corneal abrasions are among the most frequent urgent eye issues we treat. These scratches on the eye’s surface can happen in countless ways. From playful dogs and accidental fingernail scratches to contact lens mishaps. Many patients come in thinking they’ve lost a contact lens, only to discover they’ve actually scratched their eye. Even minor scratches can cause significant pain and sensitivity to light, and require solutions from an expert to prevent infection and ensure proper healing.
Eye Infections and Irritations
Bacterial eye infections vary from mild to severe and can threaten your vision if untreated. Symptoms can include pain, redness, discharge, and light sensitivity. Our specialists identify the bacteria and provide targeted treatment to eliminate the infection and protect your eyes.
Red Eyes and Eye Allergies
Red, itchy, watery eyes can significantly impact your quality of life. Ocular allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to substances like pollen, pet dander, dust mites, or mold. During an allergic response, your body releases histamine, causing blood vessels in the eyes to dilate and leading to redness, itching, and swelling.
Most eye allergies aren’t emergencies, but severe reactions or those complicated by infection may demand urgent attention. Our optometrists can identify whether you have simple allergies or a more serious problem and create a plan to relieve symptoms and prevent further damage.
Other Urgent Eye Conditions
We also provide immediate care for styes (painful bumps on the eyelid), chemical exposures that can cause serious damage if not treated quickly, contact lens-related injuries, and sudden changes in vision that appear without warning. Our optometrists provide the specialized evaluation and targeted care necessary to address these conditions and avoid lasting harm.
Don’t Wait to Protect Your Vision!
Your eyes are precious, and many eye conditions are time-sensitive. Delays in treatment can result in vision loss or prolonged recovery. If you’re experiencing any urgent eye symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact Performance Eyecare. Our team is ready to provide the expert care you need, whenever you need it. Schedule an appointment during regular business hours for non-urgent concerns, or call our emergency lines any time, day or night, when urgent eye issues arise. With Performance Eyecare, you’re never alone in protecting your vision, because we put the CARE in Eyecare.