Eye emergencies: what to do before you reach us

Chemical in the eye

Injury or something in the eye

• Dust or an insect: blink, rinse with clean water. Don't rub. If it still feels stuck, come in.
• Something stuck in the eye, or a cut: don't try to remove it. Tape a paper cup over the eye without pressing, and come in.
• Blow to the eye (cricket ball, shuttlecock, fist): cold compress; come in if vision blurs, there's blood in the eye, or double vision.
• Firecracker injury during Diwali or Kali Puja: cover the eye loosely and come straight in.

Sudden changes in vision

• Sudden loss or dimming of vision in one eye
• Flashes of light, a shower of new floaters, or a shadow or curtain across vision (possible retinal detachment)
• Painful red eye with blurred vision, haloes, headache or vomiting (possible acute glaucoma)
• Sudden double vision, or a drooping eyelid, especially with headache (also see a physician)

All of these need to be seen today.

Red eye and conjunctivitis

Every monsoon, Kolkata gets its wave of conjunctivitis, the old জয় বাংলা. Red, sticky, watery eyes that spread through families and schools. Most viral conjunctivitis settles in one to two weeks.

• Wash hands often; don't share towels or pillows
• Clean discharge with boiled, cooled water and cotton
• Avoid steroid drops without a prescription. They can worsen some infections and cause glaucoma
• Come in if there is pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, or no improvement in a week. Those suggest something more than simple conjunctivitis

If you can't reach us

Go to the nearest hospital with an eye emergency. In central Kolkata, the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology at Medical College runs emergency eye services. Don't delay treatment trying to reach a particular doctor.

Questions