Minor Emergencies

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

Presentation This condition may occur spontaneously or may follow minor trauma, coughing, vomiting, straining at stool, or exercising heavily. There is no pain or visual loss, but the patient may be frightened by the appearance of the affected eye and…

Periorbital Ecchymosis: (Black Eye)

Presentation The patient has suffered blunt trauma to the eye, most often resulting from a blow, a fall, a sports injury, or a car accident, and is alarmed because of the swelling and discoloration. Family or friends may be more…

Periorbital and Conjunctival Edema

Presentation The patient is frightened by facial distortion and itching that appeared either spontaneously or up to 24 hours after being bitten by a bug or coming in contact with some irritant. One or both eyes may be involved. The…

Iritis: (Acute Anterior Uveitis)

Presentation The patient usually complains of the onset over hours or days of unilateral eye pain, blurred vision, and photophobia. He may have noticed a pink eye for a few days, suffered mild to moderate trauma during the previous day…

Hordeolum: (Stye)

Presentation The patient complains of redness, nodular swelling, and pain in the eyelid, perhaps at the base of an eyelash (stye or external hordeolum) or deep within the lid (meibomitis, meibomianitis, or internal hordeolum, which is best appreciated with the…

Foreign Body, Corneal

Presentation Patients often present after eye injury from falling or airborne particles such as rust, particles from metal grinding, windblown grit, and wood or masonry from construction sites. The patient will complain of a foreign-body sensation and tearing and, possibly…

Foreign Body, Conjunctival

Presentation Low-velocity projectiles, such as windblown dust particles, can be retained in the tear film, the upper tarsal plate, or in a conjunctival sac. The patient will feel a foreign-body sensation but may not be very accurate in locating the…

Floaters

Presentation Patients may present with a complaint of acute monocular floaters or flashes of light. Floaters can be described as gray or dark “blobs” or “worms” in the visual field and are caused by the interference of light moving through…

Corneal Abrasion

Presentation The patient may complain of eye pain or a sensation of the presence of a foreign body after direct ocular trauma. The patient may have abraded the cornea while inserting or removing a contact lens. Removal of a corneal…