Eye emergency line
If you develop sudden or severe eye symptoms, seek urgent medical assessment. If you cannot contact IOMT, go to an emergency department. This information does not replace a medical assessment.
Seek immediate medical assessment
Sudden loss of vision
May indicate a blockage of blood flow or retinal detachment
Severe eye pain + blurred vision + nausea
May indicate dangerously high eye pressure
Flashes of light + floaters + a “curtain” over your vision
Signs of retinal detachment
A chemical splash in the eye
May cause permanent damage to the cornea
An object embedded in the eye after an injury
Risk of infection or perforation of the eye
A red, painful eye after surgery or an injection into the eye
May be a serious infection inside the eye
Swollen eyelids + a bulging eye + fever
May be a deep infection
Double vision + a drooping eyelid + difficulty moving the eye
May involve the cranial nerves or the brain
An eye injury with bleeding or visible damage
High risk of vision loss
Sudden vision loss in an older person with a headache and a tender scalp
May be temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis)
Seek urgent ophthalmic assessment
A red eye + sensitivity to light + blurred vision
May be inflammation inside the eye
Eye pain with a white spot on the cornea
Corneal infection
Sudden double vision without an injury
May indicate a neurological change
New floaters or flashes without vision loss
May indicate a retinal tear
A mild to moderate blow to the eye
There may be internal injuries that are not visible
A persistent feeling of something in the eye
There may be an embedded object
Other symptoms — assessment at an appointment
Itching and burning in the eyes
May be an allergy or dry eye
Mild crusting in the morning
Blepharitis
Gradual loss of vision
Cataract or refractive error
Halos around lights, without pain
Early cataract or dry eye
