Foreign objects or stabbing pains in your eye? Don’t wait!
Eye Emergencies in Washington
Experiencing a stab of pain in your eye?
Sudden changes in vision? Images appearing faded, blurry or foggy?
Got chemicals or another foreign object or substance in your eye?
Come visit Metropolitan Optical – 18th Street for emergency eye care.
Our Washington optometrists can help you preserve your vision and eye health.
We understand that accidents happen.
Our optometrists know exactly what to do to help you through your eye care emergency.
Whether it’s a workplace accident, an at-home incident, or some other emergency requiring immediate attention, we’re here to help you preserve your eye health and sight!
What To Do If You Have an Eye Emergency
First things first. Don’t panic! Staying calm is the best way to help you think straight and help those around you to remain calm. Often, it’s not necessary to go to an emergency room for eye emergencies. In fact, the vast majority of people who go to the emergency room for eye care could have received treatment from their local optometrist instead.
If you’re unsure whether you’re experiencing an eye emergency, give us a call immediately! Delay may increase the risk of serious complications and may result in vision loss.
Until you see your eye doctor or seek urgent care, avoid the following:
- Don’t try to remove an embedded object out of your eye
- If your eye is injured, don’t press on it or rub it
- Dry cotton and sharp instruments such as tweezers should never be used on the eye.
Whether you’ve had a workplace accident or an at-home incident, our eye doctors are here to help
Eye Emergencies FAQs
Eye emergencies are anything that may cause permanent damage to your eyes or vision without timely intervention from an eye care professional.
The most common types of eye emergencies include:
- A blow, poke or other trauma to the eye
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Chemical spills in the eye
- Foreign object embedded in the eye
- Sudden appearance of light flashes or floaters
- Contact lens lost in the eye
Symptoms of an eye infection typically include itching, burning, redness, crusty and watery eyes. See a Washington eye doctor if your symptoms last over 4 days or if you experience intense pain, redness, blurred vision or light sensitivity.
Most of the time, a person can easily remove debris from the eye by repeatedly blinking to get the debris out. If that doesn’t work, you can wash your eye with saline (sterile salt water) to flush out any dust and dirt from your eye, or use streaming tap water.
However, you may scratch your cornea while attempting to get an object out which can cause further sight-threatening complications.
So the best thing you can do in this kind of eye emergency is to get to your eye doctor in Washington as soon as possible.
Patient Reviews
4.5
207 Reviews
Joanne H. - Jul 25, 2026
The team at Metropolitan Optical are wonderful. Dr. Stupiansky was thorough and attentive, and Paul ... Show Moreand June really took care of me with the glasses selection, fitting, and purchase. I highly recommend them for your optical needs!
Lauren H. - Jul 6, 2026
Dr. Stupiansky is great! Fast yet thorough and takes the time to answer all my questions. Her staff ... Show Moreare super helpful. It's always complicated navigating insurance for purchasing glasses and contacts. Her staff know all the ins and outs of different insurance companies (they've worked with me on two insurers). They've helped me get insurance authorization needed, and when insurance hasn't covered, they've shared rebate options available. I've previously had difficult experiences with other optometrists, so it was a relief to find Metropolitan Optical!
Have an eye emergency?
Protect your vision by contacting Metropolitan Optical – 18th Street in Washington without delay!