Weekend Eye Discomfort? When To Seek Out Urgent Care

While most primary care doctors are open only during standard business hours on weekdays, you know by now that illnesses know no boundaries of times or days of the week when they will strike. As such, if you begin to experience eye discomfort over the weekend, you may be torn as to what you can and should do. The pain and discomfort calls for medical care and attention, but your physician's office is more than likely closed. Get to know the circumstances in which you should seek out assistance from an urgent care clinic for your weekend eye discomfort so that you better understand whether or not you can wait until your doctor's office is open again on Monday morning.

If You Have Any Pus Or Bleeding From Your Eyes

When you have discomfort or pain in your eyes that is accompanied by unusual discharge, including pus or blood, you will want to seek medical attention immediately. A common cause of pus and eye redness that could make a person think there is blood in their eye is conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis, also commonly known as pink eye, is a highly contagious eye infection that can be either viral or bacterial in nature. The doctors at the urgent care clinic can examine your eye or eyes and prescribe treatments based on the type of infection (viral or bacterial).

Be sure that you do not touch or mess with your eye before you get to urgent care or even afterwards other than to administer eye drops or other medications. This can cause the infection to spread to an uninfected eye or could cause another person with whom you live to become infected as well.

If Your Eyes Have Been Exposed To Chemicals

Eye irritation can also occur due to direct exposure to chemicals either in liquid or in vapor form. Depending on the type of chemicals that your eyes were exposed to and the amount, they may cause serious damage to the tissues of your eyes.

If you have followed proper protocols after your eyes were exposed to chemicals including thoroughly flushing them out with water and you still have eye pain and irritation, you should seek medical attention immediately. There may still be chemicals on the eyes that need to be flushed out by a doctor or medications that can be used to treat your pain and prevent further damage to your eyes.

Any eye exposure to chemicals calls for a trip to a primary care doctor, ophthalmologist, or urgent care clinic doctor. However, severe pain even after rinsing, blurred vision, or other continued symptoms call for swift medical action.

Now that you know a few of the reasons to seek out urgent care for your weekend eye discomfort, you can better protect your eyes and vision going forward.