Ophthalmological emergency

• Your eyeglasses
• a list of your medications and eye drops
• Findings from other clinics, including other specialties
• Your insurance card
• referral slip (if available)
• if necessary, the accident number, if such documents already exist
• if necessary, your relatives who can accompany you after the examination if you are no longer able to drive yourself

In the situations mentioned below, you need an ophthalmologic examination as quickly as possible and in a competent manner, in order to have an individual therapy concept created for your eyes.

• Previous injuries in the eye and facial region
• Eye pain
• Red eyes
• Acute vision loss (whether painful or painless)

Injuries, eye pain and red eyes include, for example

• Chemical burns caused by acids or alkalis
• open wound from a mechanical injury to the eye
• a blow to the facial region and/or the eye itself

In these cases, every second really does count for your eyesight. We recommend rinsing immediately for at least 15 minutes. If you do not have a suitable professional rinsing solution, it is best to rinse with clear cold water first (so as not to waste time looking for a more suitable rinsing solution). This will dilute the acid or alkali and mitigate any secondary damage. Ideally, during this time a second person can already take care of the absolutely necessary transport to the nearest ophthalmologist or eye clinic.

Even if the injury is only small, doesn't look dramatic, or you've gotten more than just an annoying speck of dust in your eye, you should get an ophthalmological examination right away.

Also, if your eye remains red or has even bled, please see a specialist immediately - and that means not waiting until the next possible consultation.

For example, a small foreign body could still be stuck in the cornea or even remain inside the eye. This could also have carried bacteria into the eye, which - if left untreated - could very soon cause a major inflammation and, in the worst case, blindness.

What looks so frightening on the "black eye" is usually a quite harmless bruise around the eye. However, there can also be damage to the inside of the eye caused by a blow, which is not easily recognizable externally at first glance and is therefore not immediately noticeable by those affected. So, please get a thorough ophthalmologic examination immediately and do not wait for complications, such as double vision, to develop.

For insurance reasons, you must document the time, place and sequence of events very well and, if necessary, obtain an accident number from your employer. This number is important because in the case of accidents, it is not the health insurance companies but the accident insurance companies that are responsible for your coverage.

Please be aware that every minute can count to save your eyesight if you suddenly notice "flashes", "smoke", "fog", or "sooty rain" or if a "curtain" descends.

You should act just as quickly if you suddenly notice an increase in "mosquitoes" or small "spots" dancing in front of your eyes, if you see "shadows" or "dark bars", or if you can no longer see anything at all in parts of your field of vision.

These visual phenomena can occur in the light or in the dark, but do not have to be accompanied by eye pain.

To be distinguished from this are the small "mosquitoes" (see vitreous opacities), which you have known for some time or which probably everyone has seen at least once. These are more likely to be chronic vitreous opacities or mostly harmless blood circulation-related visual phenomena, or they are signs of overtiredness or greater exertion. Mostly these are harmless and go away quickly.

However, if this "mosquito vision" or one of the other visual phenomena occurs suddenly and strongly, it may be a sign of an acute glaucoma attack, retinal detachment, occlusion of an artery, or circulatory disturbance in the brain.

In this case, immediate action is absolutely necessary. Even if nothing hurts you and you do not "feel" an emergency. Fortunately, immediate diagnostics can often prevent permanent vision loss in this case as well.