Emergency Eye Care
Somer Toprak specialises in the treatment of urgent eye conditions. Such conditions include ocular foreign bodies, corneal ulcers, iritis/uveitis and angle closure glaucoma. Other eye conditions require urgent diagnosis and referral, such as retinal detachments and papilloedema.
We allow time during the day to see people who require urgent attention. We also have an after hours service which can be utilised for urgent problems (see contact page).
Ocular Foreign Bodies
Foreign bodies are objects/particles that get into the eye. We've all had the unpleasant experience of having an eyelash fall into the eye. We can also get eye injuries due to projectiles that hit the eye while grinding, drilling or mowing just to name a few. Safety eye wear can greatly reduce the risk of this happening. Sometimes, even with all the correct precautions, foreign bodies can enter the eye.
Foreign bodies containing iron, such as steel, can become embedded in the cornea. If not removed a rust ring will develop in less than an hour. The longer it is until the foreign body is removed, the greater the amount and deeper the penetration of rust. It is not unusual for a person to not feel the foreign body enter the eye, only to feel it several hours later as it has started to rust.
Chemical Injuries
Regardless of what chemical you get in the eye, the deciding factor as to whether you pull through with some minor discomfort or develop serious corneal injuries is irrigation with running water. Copious amounts of cold water, for a minimum of 15 minutes (30 minutes is better) can mean the difference between vision and blindness. If industrial eye washes are not available, holding the eye open under a cold running tap or with a hose pointed into the eye (not full-blast of course) is the best course of action.
Iritis / Uveitis
Sometimes we can develop an eye that becomes internally inflamed. This does not get better without treatment, which usually involves the use of steroid eye drops (such as prednisolone). Signs and symptoms of uveitis include: deep throbbing eye pain, sensitivity to light and redness. It is important to treat this early, as delay can cause loss of vision. Repeat episodes of uveitis / iritis can be linked to inflammatory systemic conditions such as arthritis.
Angle Closure Glaucoma
Our eyes need to be constantly nourished with nutrients and energy. Internally, this is achieved with the aqueous, which is fluid produced by the ciliary body which is also the muscle which controls our lens within the eye. This fluid is drained at the same rate that it is produced, reaching an equilibrium pressure which is normally below 20mmHg (millimetres of mercury). In some cases, the drainage structures of the eyes can become blocked or cease to function, resulting in a rapid increase in eye pressure. When this is below 30mmHg, there are usually no symptoms. Symptoms usually begin to develop once the eye pressure exceeds about 40mmHg, and include eye pain, redness, nausea and vomiting. It needs to be treated promptly with medications to avoid long term damage to the optic nerve, which can happen as quickly as a few hours.
Retinal Detachment
The retina is a thin layer of light sensitive tissue which makes up the inner part of the eye. It is responsible for our ability to pick up light and see, and works similarly to the film or sensor in a camera by absorbing light. A retinal detachment, as the name implies, is when the retina detaches from the back of the eye. This is an urgent condition, and if left untreated can cause blindness within a matter of days. Symptoms of retinal detachment include sudden onset floaters, the appearance of flashes of light in your peripheral vision and shadows in your vision which seem to 'move' as you move your eye.
Papilloedema
This is a true emergency. Papilloedema can be sight-threatening and sometimes even life-threatening. The term papilloedema literally means 'swollen optic nerves'. When the optic nerve in both eyes is swollen, the only way for this to happen is due to an increase in fluid pressure of the brain (cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF). Sometimes this is due to unknown causes (idiopathic) and sometimes can be due to a brain tumour which is blocking the drainage of CSF. Symptoms include blurred vision in both eyes, severe headache, nausea and vomiting.
We allow time during the day to see people who require urgent attention. We also have an after hours service which can be utilised for urgent problems (see contact page).
Ocular Foreign Bodies
Foreign bodies are objects/particles that get into the eye. We've all had the unpleasant experience of having an eyelash fall into the eye. We can also get eye injuries due to projectiles that hit the eye while grinding, drilling or mowing just to name a few. Safety eye wear can greatly reduce the risk of this happening. Sometimes, even with all the correct precautions, foreign bodies can enter the eye.
Foreign bodies containing iron, such as steel, can become embedded in the cornea. If not removed a rust ring will develop in less than an hour. The longer it is until the foreign body is removed, the greater the amount and deeper the penetration of rust. It is not unusual for a person to not feel the foreign body enter the eye, only to feel it several hours later as it has started to rust.
Chemical Injuries
Regardless of what chemical you get in the eye, the deciding factor as to whether you pull through with some minor discomfort or develop serious corneal injuries is irrigation with running water. Copious amounts of cold water, for a minimum of 15 minutes (30 minutes is better) can mean the difference between vision and blindness. If industrial eye washes are not available, holding the eye open under a cold running tap or with a hose pointed into the eye (not full-blast of course) is the best course of action.
Iritis / Uveitis
Sometimes we can develop an eye that becomes internally inflamed. This does not get better without treatment, which usually involves the use of steroid eye drops (such as prednisolone). Signs and symptoms of uveitis include: deep throbbing eye pain, sensitivity to light and redness. It is important to treat this early, as delay can cause loss of vision. Repeat episodes of uveitis / iritis can be linked to inflammatory systemic conditions such as arthritis.
Angle Closure Glaucoma
Our eyes need to be constantly nourished with nutrients and energy. Internally, this is achieved with the aqueous, which is fluid produced by the ciliary body which is also the muscle which controls our lens within the eye. This fluid is drained at the same rate that it is produced, reaching an equilibrium pressure which is normally below 20mmHg (millimetres of mercury). In some cases, the drainage structures of the eyes can become blocked or cease to function, resulting in a rapid increase in eye pressure. When this is below 30mmHg, there are usually no symptoms. Symptoms usually begin to develop once the eye pressure exceeds about 40mmHg, and include eye pain, redness, nausea and vomiting. It needs to be treated promptly with medications to avoid long term damage to the optic nerve, which can happen as quickly as a few hours.
Retinal Detachment
The retina is a thin layer of light sensitive tissue which makes up the inner part of the eye. It is responsible for our ability to pick up light and see, and works similarly to the film or sensor in a camera by absorbing light. A retinal detachment, as the name implies, is when the retina detaches from the back of the eye. This is an urgent condition, and if left untreated can cause blindness within a matter of days. Symptoms of retinal detachment include sudden onset floaters, the appearance of flashes of light in your peripheral vision and shadows in your vision which seem to 'move' as you move your eye.
Papilloedema
This is a true emergency. Papilloedema can be sight-threatening and sometimes even life-threatening. The term papilloedema literally means 'swollen optic nerves'. When the optic nerve in both eyes is swollen, the only way for this to happen is due to an increase in fluid pressure of the brain (cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF). Sometimes this is due to unknown causes (idiopathic) and sometimes can be due to a brain tumour which is blocking the drainage of CSF. Symptoms include blurred vision in both eyes, severe headache, nausea and vomiting.
