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Take care of your eyes by knowing when someone needs to take care of them for you!

Take care of your eyes by knowing when someone needs to take care of them for you!

Dr. Jack Abrams, from the Abrams Eye Institute, offers some tips on how to properly manage eye injuries, in case they occur.

I often see patients with eye injuries, either at my clinic or in hospitals where I work. Fortunately, most of them aren’t serious and can be treated with a cleaning, drops and a follow up appointment a little while later to make sure everything is OK. We do see a few serious issues, though, from time-to-time, and wanted to share a few tips on what to do if your eye suffers trauma.

First of all, when people have some sort of eye trauma, their initial impulse seems to be find some water, rinse the eye and let it be. This may help with certain, very minor instances such as a small poke from glasses, perhaps, or having some dust blow into your eye from the desert winds we have here in Southern Nevada. However, a little water might not help in quite a few circumstances. Here are a few examples where you may need to come see me – or visit your emergency room – to have a closer look at your eye:

  • A cut or torn eye lid
  • A scratch on your eye that’s very painful
  • Difficulty in movement of an eye
  • Blood visible in the white of your eye
  • Foreign matter in your eye that won’t wash out
  • Something that feels stuck in your eyelid
  • Changes in your pupils (either the shape or the size)
  • Pain or issues with vision
  • An eye that protrudes

This list above just serves as guidelines for general eye safety, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or eye injury. When faced with any issues of concern, again we urge you not to think that a little water and time will help with any problem you face and take treating the issue very seriously. Taking care of your eyes is an important responsibility, and we urge people that have these issues to resist the urge to ‘tough it out,’ and get the help they need.  Small problems left untreated can quickly turn into big ones with long-lasting implications.

If you have any questions about the health of your eyes, please fill out the form on this page, or call 702-304-9494. We’re always glad to help.