Red or Irritated Eyes

Ever woken up to find your eye swollen and red? Chances are you probably made a beeline straight to your doctor’s office or even the hospital! Many people visit the emergency room or their general practitioner if they have an irritated or red eye. What they don’t know is that most ER and GP offices are not fully equipped to determine what type of eye problem you are having and going to either location is probably only going to result in a sore derrière from waiting around just to get in. An eye specialist, such as your local optometrist, is the best initial person to diagnose and determine treatment for your eye condition.  There is no referral necessary to see an optometrist.  Since 2009 B.C. optometrists have been able to prescribe medications to treat many eye conditions, such as infections, inflammations, injuries, or allergies.

Here is a list of some of the more common conditions we see every day:

• Bacterial and viral eye infections (pink eye)
• Red eye secondary to contact lens wear
• Eyelid infection and inflammation (blepharitis)
• Tender bumps on eyelids (styes)
• Inflammation of the eye
• Eye pain
• Allergies affecting the eyes
• Superficial foreign body removal

At View Optometry we will determine if a referral to an ophthalmologist is necessary, and if so can get you in to see one very quickly if needed.

The ER is still a good place to go if no optometrist is open at the time that you are having an eye problem.