Urgent Eye Care

In most instances, vision problems have a very gradual onset. That means that the majority of people won’t have to receive urgent eye care in their lifetime. However, if issues develop with your retina, cornea, or lens, they can cause quick onsets of vision problems.

Speed: Some vision problems will occur and disappear, and they can be caused by a whole number of factors from light fatigue to acting as an indicator for a much greater physiological issue. When relaying information about quick-onset vision problems to your optometrist, try to provide as much information as possible. This should include details such as: 1) Has the problem occurred quickly and stayed, or has it been coming and going away? 2) Are you – or were you – experiencing pain? 3) What, if any, unexpected things are you seeing (flashing lights, dark spots, double vision)?

D.Eye.Y Diagnosis: It is difficult to tell exactly what part of your vision is being affected when you experience vision problems. The severity of vision problems often can’t be determined until pupils have been dilated and the eye can be properly examined. One thing that’s important to consider is that if a vision problem is likely to “go away”, it will probably do so in the first hour. For instance, if you have a sudden hypoglycemia-related migraine, your vision could be affected and you could be in a lot of pain, yet taking some time to rest and drinking plenty of fluids will begin remedy the problem in the first hour. On the other hand, a serious migraine or pain that won’t go away after the first hour will likely need professional care.

Vision Problems That Affect Your Independence should be immediately addressed. If a sudden onset of dark spots or double vision has rendered you unable to perform daily tasks, you should contact your optometrist, even if it hasn’t been very long since the issues appeared. What seems like a problem with your vision could indicate a greater physiological problem.

At Calgary’s Doig Optometry, both Dr. Chorel and Dr. Doig are experienced in dealing with urgent eye care needs. More importantly, we care about the wellbeing of all our patients, old and new. If you think you’re experiencing symptoms which require urgent eye care, call us at 403-333-3353.

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