Care for Your Eyes in an Emergency

We offer emergency services when you need immediate eye care.

Please call us for an emergency appointment or advice if you think you might be experiencing an eye care emergency. In any urgent situation, trust your gut and proceed directly to your nearest emergency room.

Please note, emergency care is available at both our Fredericton & Minto locations. If your emergency occurs on a day when we are not at the Minto office, your call will be forwarded directly to Fredericton for assistance.

Book an Emergency Appointment

Signs of an Eye Care Emergency

Please contact us right away if you’re experiencing any of the following severe eye or vision symptoms:

Sudden sharp or intense eye pain
Many or sudden flashes of light or floaters
Bleeding from the eye
Discharge from the eye
Vision loss, even if it comes back
Double vision
Eyes not moving together
New or severe headaches
Trauma to the eye

Common Eye Care Concerns

It can be very stressful to deal with sudden eye pain, or to help care for someone else who is in pain. In general, avoid rubbing your eyes when you’re experiencing eye pain and seek a professional opinion.

Foreign Object in Your Eye

When an object in your eye is a small piece of debris, you may be able to remove it by flushing your eye, either in the shower or with a small, clean glass of water. If you’re wearing contacts, try removing the lens from the affected eye, as debris can stick to it.

Never try to remove an object lodged in your eye. Seek medical help if the object isn’t washed away with about 15 minutes of flushing or if it appears something’s embedded in your eye. If the debris was washed away but the eye is still irritated 24 hours later, seek medical help. This could be a sign of a corneal abrasion.

Floaters & Flashes of Light

You may notice occasional small dark spots or squiggly lines in your vision. These are called floaters, and they’re mostly normal. But if you suddenly see many of them at once, or some that don’t go away, it could be a sign of infection, injury, or a severe vision-threatening emergency such as retinal detachment. See your eye doctor right away.

Similarly, seeing occasional flashes of light can be normal, but a sudden increase of flashes, especially when accompanied by floaters, could be a sign of something serious.

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or red eye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane covering the eyes and inner eyelids. Conjunctivitis can be caused by an infection or chemical or allergic irritants.

Conjunctivitis that’s caused by bacteria or a virus is highly contagious, and you should see an optometrist for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. Symptoms of conjunctivitis include:

Pink or red colouring in the whites of the eye or eyes
Sticky, watery, or stringy discharge
Itching or burning
Swollen eyelids
Light sensitivity
Watery eyes or excessive tears

Scratched Eye

A scratch on your cornea can seem superficial, but medical care is required to prevent infection or inflammation that can cause further damage.

In the meantime, thoroughly flush your eye if you suspect there could be any debris left behind, and don’t rub the eye. Avoid wearing contacts while your eye heals.

Chemical Exposure

Chemical exposure may cause symptoms ranging from minor irritation to vision loss. Whether at home or work, the first step is to thoroughly flush the eye.

If possible, identify the chemical you were exposed to and seek medical attention in case more care is required to protect your vision.