There are a few eye conditions which are classified as true emergencies. These conditions are considered emergent based on the rapid escalation and high risk for sight loss or loss of life. All emergent conditions should be treated with the highest priority and considered to be top concern.

Retinal Detachment: A true eye emergency

One of the most common and most sight threatening conditions is a retinal detachment. This is considered an eye emergency. In a retinal detachment, the retina becomes separated from the back of the eye and can result in a sudden loss of vision. The retina is the part of the eye which is responsible for collecting light and creating “sight” to send to the brain. In a retinal detachment, the retina is broken apart and therefore the pathway of vision is interrupted.

Signs and Symptoms of Retinal Detachments

A retinal detachment is often a result of trauma or injury to the head or the eyes. There are several common signs including a curtain of darkness or veil of fogginess coming over the vision suddenly. Other signs include many new floaters all at once, to make it seem like there is a sense of snow or rain in the vision. Symptoms can be variable and include flashes of light or dimming of vision.

Treating a Retinal Detachment

A retinal detachment can be treated with surgical repair in various methods including a laser retinal surgery, a procedure called a scleral buckle, and a surgery to remove the gel inside the eye called the vitreous.
Since a retinal detachment is an emergent condition, these treatments have the best outcomes if performed withing 24 to 48 hours of the onset of the retinal detachment.

Malignant Hypertensive Retinopathy

If high blood pressure, or hypertension, is uncontrolled for a long time, it can cause profound damage to the eyes. The most severe damage that high blood pressure can cause is called malignant hypertensive retinopathy. In this condition, the blood vessels in the eyes become damaged and leaky and the optic nerve begins to swell profusely.

Signs and Symptoms of Malignant Hypertensive Retinopathy

With malignant hypertensive retinopathy, the most common symptom is a general loss of vision in both eyes. This is usually not a total blackness and is only a severe blurred or distorted appearance. Since high blood pressure affects all parts of the body, there may be other signs and symptoms that indicate that the decrease in vision is due to malignant hypertensive retinopathy including headaches, swelling of extremities, and kidney failure.

Treatment for Malignant Hypertensive Retinopathy: A life-threatening emergency!

In cases of malignant hypertensive retinopathy, the eye doctor will usually call an ambulance to take the patient directly to the emergency department to be treated. The first priority is to decrease the blood pressure as it can become a life-threatening condition if the blood pressure remains extremely elevated. Once the blood pressure is lowered, a systemic health exam will be needed to determine if other organs are experiencing similar failure to the eyes.

Importance of Having a Primary Eye Care Doctor

In any case of an emergency, it is important that your doctor has a history of your health and your eyes. For this reason, everyone should have a primary eye care doctor who they will see for routine eye exams. If any eye emergency does occur, your primary eye care doctor will be the best person to make quick and important decisions that could save your vision or your life!

Our eye doctor at The Optical Centre in Longmont, CO excels in prescription of glasses, contact lenses and the diagnosis of a variety of eye diseases. Call our optometrist at 303-772-6650 or schedule an eye exam appointment online if you would like to learn more about other eye emergencies. Our eye doctor, Dr. Erica Whitmire provides the highest quality optometry services and eye exams in Longmont, Colorado and its surrounding areas.