Acute consultation
Urgent eye health assessment in the event of sudden complaints.
Sudden changes in vision, severe pain, or eye trauma may indicate a condition for which a timely medical examination is critical. In such cases, you should not monitor the symptoms at home for an extended period or wait to see if they resolve on their own.
Seek immediate medical help if:
- Your vision suddenly worsens or disappears — in one or both eyes, even if you do not feel any pain.
- You experience new flashes of light, a sudden increase in “floaters”, or a shadow in your field of vision — especially if this is accompanied by worsening vision or the appearance of a dark spot or “curtain”.
- The eye is noticeably painful or red — especially if vision worsens at the same time, or if there is severe sensitivity to light, headache, nausea, or vomiting.
- You have suffered an eye injury — especially if your vision has worsened afterward, you are experiencing severe pain, there is bleeding, or you suspect a foreign object is in your eye.
A painful and red eye in a contact lens wearer also requires a prompt medical examination, as certain corneal infections can progress rapidly.
If a chemical substance has entered your eye
Immediately begin rinsing the eye with a large amount of clean water. Do not delay rinsing while waiting to see a physician. Then seek immediate medical attention.
During an acute consultation
The physician will assess the possible cause of the symptoms and determine whether vision or eye health is at risk. The scope of the examination is tailored to the specific situation in order to determine the necessary next steps as quickly as possible – to begin treatment, perform additional diagnostics, or, if necessary, refer the patient to a specialised hospital for emergency care.
When is emergency care necessary?
Not all acute eye problems can be treated on an outpatient basis. In the event of sudden, severe vision loss, a serious eye injury, or chemical damage, do not wait for the scheduled consultation – you may need immediate care at a specialised hospital.
