Summer Eye Emergencies: What to Do If You Injure Your Eye

July in Sherwood Park is the season of backyard mid-day BBQs, camping trips to Elk Island, and DIY home renovations. While we all want to soak up every minute of the Alberta sun, summer also brings a unique set of hazards for our eyes.

At Aspen Eye Care, we see a significant spike in urgent care visits during July. Many patients don't realize that for most eye-related injuries or sudden symptoms, your local optometrist is actually your best first call—not the hospital emergency room.

Here is your guide to the most common summer eye emergencies and how to handle them.

Common Summer Eye Injuries and How to Treat Them

1. The "Foreign Body" (Something in the Eye)

Whether it's a bit of sawdust from a deck project or a stray spark from a Saturday night campfire, getting a foreign object stuck in your eye is painful and potentially dangerous.

• What to do: Do NOT rub your eye. This can cause the object to scratch your cornea. Try blinking gently to see if tears wash it out.

• When to call us: If the sensation of "something being in there" persists, or if you were using power tools or metal-on-metal work, call us immediately. Dr. Bandali has specialized tools to safely remove objects that are embedded in the eye's surface.

2. The Scratched Cornea (Corneal Abrasion)

A rogue branch while hiking or even a fingernail while playing beach volleyball can scratch the clear front surface of your eye. This is called a corneal abrasion. It feels incredibly gritty, sensitive to light, and can be quite painful.

• The Risk: An open scratch is a gateway for bacteria. Without proper medicated drops, a simple scratch can turn into a serious ulcer.

• The Fix: We can diagnose a scratch using a special yellow dye and a high-powered microscope. We often prescribe "bandage" contact lenses or antibiotic drops to speed up healing and prevent infection.

3. Swimming and Eye Infections

Sherwood Park residents love our local lakes, but swimming in contacts is one of the most dangerous things you can do for your vision. Lakes and even well-maintained pools can harbor a parasite called Acanthamoeba, which can get trapped under a contact lens and cause a devastating infection.

• Pro Tip: If you must see while swimming, invest in a pair of prescription goggles. If you do swim in your contacts and notice redness or pain afterward, take the lenses out immediately and call for an assessment.

4. Chemical Splashes

From pool chlorine to lawn fertilizers, summer chemicals can cause serious burns to the eye.

• The Action: Immediate flushing is key. Use clean water or saline and flush the eye for at least 15 minutes. Once flushed, call us for a medical evaluation to ensure no permanent tissue damage has occurred.

Why Choose an Optometrist Over the ER for Eye Emergencies?

In Alberta, optometrists are fully equipped and trained to handle eye emergencies. When you call Aspen Eye Care for an emergency, you get several distinct advantages over a traditional hospital visit:

• You avoid the ER wait: We prioritize urgent cases to get you in quickly.

• Better Equipment: We have specialized equipment (slit lamps, retinal cameras) specifically designed for eye health that most general ERs do not have.

• Expertise: Eyes are our singular focus.

When to Seek Immediate Emergency Eye Care in Sherwood Park

Emergency Tip: Save our number (780) 464-6458 in your phone under "Eye Doctor Emergency." If you experience sudden vision loss, new flashes of light, a shower of "floaters," or physical trauma, call us right away.

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