Eye injury in Fayetteville, AR

At Vold Vision in Northwest Arkansas, we not only care about the health of your vision but also safety and protection from injury. Eye safety can so easily be overlooked at the moment when it can be easily prevented with certain protective measures. However, many people forsake basic safety precautions and in a moment, can be sentenced to a lifetime of vision problems. Statistically, 2.4 million eye injuries occur every year in the United States alone. Therefore, regarding basic eye safety, Vold Vision cannot urge people enough to please use basic precautions when engaging in any activity which has the potential for eye injury. When in doubt, we recommended treating all eye injuries as potential emergencies.

The most common types of injuries are caused by flying objects, such as bits of metal or glass, air-blown and wind-blown particles, tools, chemicals, and UV radiation or welding arcs. At home, common objects such as eyelash curlers, mascara brushes, lawn and garden tools, and objects with sharp edges can also cause injuries. Blunt trauma from a ball or a fall can also be a serious concern. Some injuries like puncture wounds could require immediate treatment or surgery to prevent serious eye damage resulting in vision loss. Minor scratches may only require simple monitoring after an initial visit to Vold Vision to ensure complications don't occur.

Common conditions associated with an eye injury and trauma include:

Eye Laceration: This is essentially a scratch or cut on the eyeball. Lacerations don’t always need emergency care, but some may depending on the depth and length of the injury.

Scratched Eye:  This is also known as a corneal abrasion. Common causes of abrasions to the eye's surface are getting poked in the eye or rubbing it with a foreign body, such as dust or sand.

Penetrating or Foreign Objects: When a foreign object, such as metal or a sharp object (such as a fish hook) penetrates your eye, it is recommended to go directly to the emergency room. Don’t rub it or try removing the object.

Caustic Foreign Substance: This is when a substance other than water gets into the eye. It can be worrisome to get splashed by anything other than water. Run your eyes under barely warm tap water for 15 minutes, and seek immediate medical help if there is no improvement.

Black Eyes: These are common eye injuries and often can be treated with an ice pack to reduce swelling.

Subconjunctival Hemorrhages (Eye Bleeding): This eye injury looks worse than it is. It involves blood leaking from a blood vessel. Although it can look serious, this injury generally clears up on its own within several weeks.

Traumatic Iritis: This is an inflammation of the iris and occurs after an eye injury. Even with medical treatment, there is a risk of long-term vision damage.

Hyphemas And Orbital Blowout Fractures:  A hyphema is bleeding in the space between the cornea and the iris. Orbital blowout fractures are cracks in the facial bones surrounding the eye. These are considered medical emergencies and immediate care should be sought.

Because there are so many different types of eye injuries ranging from mild to severe, protocol and treatment vary greatly. Most eye injuries can be treated and healed at home without a visit to the eye doctor. However, some do require immediate attention as noted above. The experienced team of professionals at Vold Vision takes eye injuries seriously and we work hard to fit every patient in who has trauma or a serious condition that needs to be checked out promptly.

If you suffer an eye injury, Dr. Vold and his team of board-certified ophthalmologists and optometrists will be able to assess and treat the injury. Vold Vision takes pride in establishing life-long relationships with patients and providing caring and customized support. However, should a situation arise requiring immediate attention, we are your go-to team of healthcare professionals to aid in the healing process.