Taking care of your eyes is vital in maintaining your vision and overall health. However, your eyes are prone to injuries since they are so delicate. Eye injuries vary in severity, but it is always important to visit an eye doctor. Eye injuries can cause severe damage and may even lead to vision loss.
Eye injuries can result from accidents, foreign objects, or exposure to chemicals that result in eye pain, redness, or swelling. You should always see an eye doctor right away after an injury. At Epic Vision Eye Centers, serving Smithville, MO and several locations in Kansas, we can diagnose and treat eye injuries.
Causes of Eye Injuries
It's important to note that eye injuries may range from mild to severe. The most common ones include:
- Eye trauma: Eye trauma is the most common type of eye injury in the US. It results from a direct blow into your eye, which may be due to a fall, sports accident, or a fight. Eye trauma requires immediate attention to avoid severity in the future.
- Black eye: Black eyes could be due to swollen tissues around your eye or an impact to your eye. The area around your eye becomes swollen, painful, and bruised. In a worst-case scenario, the eyelid may be cut, interfering with your vision.
- Burns and irritation: Fumes, chemicals, or any other form of irritant can damage or burn your eye. If immediate care is not sought, it could lead to vision loss.
- Bleeding in the eye: When the blood vessels in the white part of the eye break, red specks or spots appear. Causes include straining too hard when vomiting, sneezing, coughing, or bending.
- Corneal abrasion: Corneal abrasion forms when foreign objects, contact lenses, fingernails, or other items scratch the cornea. The injury could cause eye-watering, light sensitivity, and pain.
- Orbital fracture: Blunt force or trauma to the bones that surround the eyes can cause a fracture. Orbital or eye socket fractures occur when a fist or an object hits the eye.
Schedule an Appointment
It’s important to visit our optometrists right after an eye injury so that your condition does not worsen, or start to cause vision loss. Even if your symptoms are minor, leaving an eye injury untreated can cause other health problems. At Epic Vision Eye Centers in Smithville, MO and various locations in Kansas, our eye doctors can help diagnose and treat your eye injury. To schedule an appointment, call us today.