	All Laser LASIK
	Crystalens
	Cataract Surgery

	Adult Eye Care
	Child Eye Care
	Senior Eye Care

	Contact Lenses
	Optical Facility



	Seminars
	Ask The Doctor
	Eye Exams
	First Aid
	Saving Your Sight

	Glossary
	Newsletter

	Patient Forms
	Testimonials
	Our Doctors
	About Us
	Contact Us
	Employment
	Location
	Photo Album

	FEC Home

Emergency Eye Care

How can I tell if I should go immediately to the Emergency Department or wait to see my eye doctor?

You should always seek immediate care if you believe your eyesight is in jeopardy or if you are in severe pain. In addition, seek immediate medical attention if you have the following symptoms:

sudden vision loss, in one or both eyes
sudden, severe pain in or around the eye
redness accompanied by pain in the eye
halos (colored circles around lights)
new floaters (spots, strings, cobwebs, or shadows before the eyes)
bulging of the eye or swelling of eye tissues
flashes or streaks of light
double vision
sudden crossed, turned or "wandering" eye
discharge, crusting or excessive tearing; eyelids stuck together, especially upon awakening
sudden blurring of vision that lasts more than 1 day

What kinds of problems are seen in the Emergency Room?

Emergency Rooms see many types of serious eye injuries and conditions, such as:

eye infections
cuts (lacerations) to the eye from accidents, fights, car accidents, etc.
adverse reactions to contact lenses (i.e., contacts that have become "stuck" to the eye)
sports-related eye injuries
eye pain and vision disturbances caused by chemical exposure
foreign particles in the eye such as small pieces of debris from yard work, glass or metal

Eye Safety

Even a minor eye injury can cause serious, lifelong eye damage. For example, bleeding within the eye, caused by an eye injury, can cause glaucoma later in life. Eye injuries can cause loss of vision, or complete loss of an eye. Listed below are tips for preventing eye injuries, as well as information about first aid treatment in the event of an eye injury.

First Aid Treatment For Eye Injuries

Never try to guess about the severity of an eye injury. Seek medical attention as soon as possible following an eye injury, particularly if you have pain in the eye, blurred vision, loss of vision or loss of field of vision.

The Florida Eye Center recommends several simple first aid steps that can be taken and should be started until medical assistance is obtained.

Chemical Exposure

(i.e., oven cleaner, drain cleaner, chlorox bleech, or other caustic products or concentrated acid products)

DO immediately flush the eye with water or any drinkable liquid (such as milk, gatorade, juice,etc.), continuously for at least 30 minutes. Dilution as well as washing out particulate matter is the key.
DO hold head under a shower spray or water fountain or use a garden hose at low pressure to pour water into the eye. Even use swimming pool water.......ASAP !!!!!!!!!!!!
Flush the eye(s) even before trying to call 911!!! Leaving for the hospital or taking time to call a physician before flushing the eye first will only allow additional damage to occur and could mean loss of vision.
DO NOT try to neutralize the chemical. ........ K.I.S.S. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blows To The Eye ( sticks, stones, punches, branches, etc.)

DO place a small, soft plastic sandwich bag wrapped in a clean cloth or gauze, filled with crushed ice (the size of a golf ball) gently over the eye, taping it to the forehead, to reduce pain and swelling. Whole ice cubes or commercial ice packs are too heavy and may cause further damage.
DO see an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) immediately if there is severe swelling or bleeding, decrease or loss of vision or field of vision, or double vision.
DO NOT allow the injured person to blow his nose, because, in case of a fracture of the orbit (socket), bacteria from the sinuses may be blown into the tissues around the eye, causing eye infection.
DO NOT allow injured person to rub the eye.
DO NOT apply pressure to the eye.
DO seek medical help immediately.
DO protect the eye with something hard, such as sunglasses or the bottom half of a milk carton or bottom half of a paper cup or Styrofoam cup taped over the eye, while en route to medical care.
DO NOT wash out the eye or try to remove an object stuck in the eye or orbit (socket).

Cuts or Punctures of the Eye or Eyelid

DO seek medical help immediately.
DO protect the eye with something hard, such as sunglasses or the bottom half of a milk carton or a cup taped over the eye, while en route to medical care.
DO NOT wash out the eye or try to remove an object stuck in the eye or orbit (socket).
DO NOT apply pressure to the eye.

Foreign Body in the Eye

DO see an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) immediately if the particle does not wash out or if pain persists.
DO allow natural tearing to flush out the particle. If it does not flush out, use a squeeze-type bottle of commercial eye solution to irrigate the eye, which may dislodge the particle.
DO NOT use Visine , unless it is the only eye drops and do not use for more than the 1st few hours....................
DO NOT remove protruding objects. Seek immediate medical aid.
DO NOT directly rub a speck or particle. Pull upper eyelid down over the lower eyelid and allow it to push the speck out of the eye.

Eye Safety Tips

Almost 100% of eye injuries could have been prevented !!!!!!!

Please, wear appropriate eye protection (and encourage your children to do so) when participating in sports and recreational activities.

Also use eye protection when doing carpentry (hammering nails, sawing wood), or when working near machinery, lawn mowers, weeding power equipment, car batteries, chemicals or anything that may cause flying particles.

DO be sure that the lenses and frames of safety glasses that are certified have passed the standard written by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) also writes standards for sports/recreational eye protectors. Polycarbonate lenses are recommended by the FLORIDA EYE CENTER....
The better sports eye protectors are made of polycarbonate with molded temples. Wear eye appropriate protection (i.e., splash goggles) when using such potentially hazardous substances as ammonia, oven cleaner and other chemicals.
DO wear sunglasses, plain or with prescription lenses, to protect the eyes against sunlight and on cloudy days to protect against ultraviolet radiation. Make certain the sunglasses specify 99 percent ultraviolet blocking capability because darkness of lenses does not mean the same thing and darker lenses are not always better.
DO wear polycarbonate protection eyewear during waking hours if you have good vision in only one eye.
DO turn your face away or close your eyes when spraying perfume, hair spray or deodorant. Use care when applying lotions, creams or oils on the eyelids or around the eyes. If you are exposed to these or other chemicals, severe irritation may result.
DO NOT substitute ordinary streetwear glasses or contact lenses for appropriate eye protection. Ordinary glasses may break on impact, often leading to severe eye injury, and contact lenses provide no protection whatsoever against eye injury. Polycarbonate lenses are the most impact resistant material.
DO NOT allow children to play with hazardous "toys" such as BB, pellet or paintball guns, bows and arrows, darts or firecrackers. Injuries sustained by both children and adults when using these items have often resulted in permanent damage or loss of an eye. Common sense tells us to supervise and chaparone the children.
DO NOT use an eyecup since it may harbor harmful bacteria. Prolonged use of VISINE, a decongestant that "gets the red out," may mask the symptoms and postpone treatment of a potentially serious eye condition.
DO NOT wear dark or heavily tinted glasses at night.

Eye Safety Tips for Contact Lens Wearers

Remove your contact lenses before entering a pool or hot tub. Chlorination may not kill harmful bacteria or parasites in the water. If you wear contact lenses and they are exposed to bacteria, serious eye infection and corneal disease may result.

Use only commercially prepared solutions for contact lens care. Avoid homemade saline solutions of salt tablets and distilled or tap water.

DO NOT ever use tap or distilled water, or saliva to rinse contact lenses. After lenses have been removed, always disinfect and rinse them before reinserting. Failure to adhere to a strict cleansing routine can result in severe infection, corneal disease, blinding scars and even loss of an eye.
DO NOT substitute ordinary streetwear glasses or contact lenses for safety eyewear. Ordinary glasses may break on impact, often leading to severe eye injury, and contact lenses provide no protection whatsoever against eye injury.

Sports Injuries

What sport causes the most ocular injuries the U.S.?

In 1998, basketball was responsible for over one-third of the eye injuries, but now that protective gear is required by many organizations, basketball has become a strong contender for first place for an estimated 8,723 eye injuries.

Swimming and pool sports resulted in an estimated 4,593 eye injuries. Baseball had been the most common, but fell to third place with 4,029 cases.

The majority of these and other sports-related and recreational activities and eye injuries could have been prevented if the athletes had worn appropriate, certified protective eyewear.

The right kind of protective eyewear can make a huge difference.

For example, in Canada, ocular trauma related to ice hockey decreased by 90 percent after certified full-face protector and headgear was made mandatory in organized amateur hockey.

If you think sports-related eye injuries are not important, think about these facts:

The average hockey puck travels at 90-100 mph.
Professional baseball players throw balls at about 95 mph.
High-speed film has demonstrated that elite squash players strike the ball at 125-145 mph.
A badminton shuttlecock has been clocked at 140 mph.
Polycarbonate protects against a .22 caliber bullet.

If you consider that even a novice 12-year-old squash player can hit a ball at 80 mph, you will understand that high-velocity flying objects can do irreparable damage to the human eye.

Your vision is precious, protect it.

Children and Sports Injuries

Children are at particular risk for a sports-related eye injury. Every year, 25,513 children sustain serious sports-related eye injuries. That is why it is essential that all children wear appropriate, protective eyewear whenever playing sports.

Basketball is responsible for 2,338 eye injuries in children age 5 to 14. It accounts for 3,856 eye injuries in teens and young adults (15-24 y.o.).

It may be surprising to know that it is not the ball that causes most of these injuries, but rather the fingers and elbows of other players.

Almost all of these injuries could have been prevented had the child worn appropriate protective eyewear.

Parents are advised to acquaint themselves with the potential for eye injuries in sports and recreational activities including gym and to insist that their children use appropriate, protective eyewear when participating in sports or other fun activities.

Just as your child wears a bike helmet, so must he or she learn to automatically reach for sport-appropriate, protective eyewear when heading for the field or court.

Protective Eyewear

Not all eyewear is alike. The eye specialists at Florida Eye Center recommend you always use appropriate, certified eyewear whenever participating in sports.

If you wear prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, remember that they never substitute for appropriate, well-fitted protective eyewear.

You may however, obtain prescription eyewear at the Florida Eye Center that is made of impact resistant materials preferably polycarbonate that passes the appropriate standard.

Lensless goggles offer no protection.

Eye Protection Standards and Guidelines

American National Standards Institute

ANSI Z80.5 - 1997 Requirements for Ophthalmologic frames
ANSI Z80.1 - 1995 Prescription Ophthalmic lens recommendations
ANSI Z80.3 - 1996 Requirements for non-prescription sunglasses and fashion wear
NOTE: Polycarbonate lenses should be used unless there is a specific reason for another lens material
ANSI Z87.1 - 1989 Practice for occupational eye and face protection
NOTE: Industrial eye protectors are not satisfactory for sports unless tested to ASTM standards

American Society for Testing and Materials

ASTM F803 - 1997 Eye protectors for selected sports (racquet sports, women's lacrosse, baseball)
ASTM F513 - 1995 Eye and face protective equipment for hockey players
ASTM F910 - 1992 Face guards for youth baseball
ASTM F1776 - 1997 Eye protectors for use by players of paintball sports
ASTM F1587 - 1996 Head and face protective equipment for ice hockey goal tenders
ASTM F659 - 1992 High-impact-resistant eye protective devices for Alpine Skiing

Sunglasses

Sunglasses, plain or with prescription lenses, protect the eyes against sunlight (ultraviolet radiation).

Make certain the sunglasses specify 99 percent ultraviolet blocking capability because darkness of lenses does not mean the same thing and darker lenses are not always better.

Sunglasses that are too dark and "fool" the pupil so that it will not constrict allow more ultraviolet light to enter the eye.

Polycarbonate lenses are strongly recommended for safety.

American National Standards Institute: ANSI Z80.3-1996 Requirements for non-prescription sunglasses and fashion eyewear