Emergency eye care is urgent assessment and treatment for sudden eye injuries, infections, or vision changes that can’t safely wait for a routine appointment. At LMC Optometry & Eye Care, our optometrists across Ontario are equipped to handle most ocular emergencies right in the clinic, often the same day, call our offices immediately if you’re experiencing an emergency issue.
Some eye issues are uncomfortable but can wait until tomorrow. Others need attention within hours. As a rule, call us right away if you’re experiencing:
Some examples of eye emergencies include:
Your vision is precious. If you’re experiencing an eye emergency, you’ll need to find help quickly to preserve your sight and prevent further injury. Of course, if we’re closed or otherwise unavailable, go straight to your local emergency room.
In the event of an ocular emergency, remain calm and do not try to self-treat.
Remove contact lenses (unless in the case of a chemical splash)
Optometrists do far more than prescribe glasses and contacts. Our clinics carry the same kind of diagnostic technology you’d find at a hospital eye clinic, so we can assess and begin treatment for a wide range of urgent issues, including:
Corneal abrasions and scratches from contact lenses, fingernails, branches, or grit
Foreign body removal for dust, metal shavings, sand, or other debris stuck in or under the eyelid
Eye infections, including bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye), viral infections, and styes
Inflammation like uveitis or iritis, which causes pain and light sensitivity
Chemical exposure, where a fast assessment can prevent permanent damage
Sudden flashes and floaters, which can sometimes signal a retinal tear or detachment
Contact lens complications from overwear, infection, or poor fit
For more serious findings, like a confirmed retinal detachment or a deep penetrating injury, we’ll stabilize you, communicate directly with the appropriate specialist, and make sure you get to the right next step quickly.
Before you head to our clinic, what you do at home can make a real difference.
For a chemical splash: Rinse the eye with clean, lukewarm water for at least 15 minutes. Tilt your head so the affected eye is lower, and let the water run from the inner corner outward. Don’t stop rinsing to find your phone. Have someone else call us or 911 while you flush. Remove contact lenses only if they come out easily during rinsing.
For a foreign object you can see and feel: Don’t dig at it. Don’t use tweezers. Blink a few times, and if it’s loose, gently rinse with clean water or saline. If it’s stuck, leave it alone and come straight in.
For a blunt impact: Apply a cold compress (not pressure) and keep the eye still. Avoid bending over or lifting heavy objects until you’ve been assessed.
For sudden flashes, floaters, or a curtain across your vision: Treat this as time-sensitive. Call us or head to the ER. Retinal tears can progress to detachment within hours.
Do not:
Rub your eyes
Apply pressure to a swollen or injured eye
Use over-the-counter drops or ointments to “treat” an injury
Try to remove anything embedded in the eye yourself
Drive yourself if your vision is impaired
For most non-life-threatening eye problems, an optometrist is actually the better first stop. Hospital ERs are set up for full-body emergencies and typically don’t have a slit lamp, optical coherence tomography (OCT), or fundus imaging on hand. That means you might wait several hours only to be referred back to an eye doctor anyway.
Come to LMC if you’re dealing with eye pain, redness, infection, foreign bodies, abrasions, sudden visual disturbances, or contact lens issues during our open hours.
Go to the ER if you have a serious head injury alongside the eye problem, deep facial lacerations, suspected globe rupture, or if it’s after hours and the situation can’t wait until morning. After your ER visit, follow up with us so we can monitor recovery and catch anything that was missed.
An eye emergency is any sudden eye injury, infection, or vision change that needs urgent assessment to prevent permanent damage. This includes chemical splashes, foreign objects in the eye, scratches or cuts, blunt trauma, sudden vision loss, new flashes or floaters, severe eye pain, or worsening redness. If you’re unsure, call your optometrist for guidance rather than waiting.
Yes. Optometrists are trained and equipped to assess and treat most eye emergencies, including corneal abrasions, foreign body removal, infections, inflammation, and sudden vision changes. Optometry clinics like LMC carry diagnostic equipment such as slit lamps and OCT imaging that most hospital ERs don’t have on hand, which often makes an optometrist the faster and more accurate first stop.
Whether you’re searching for emergency eye care near you in Barrie, Bayview, Bolton, Brampton, Ottawa, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, or Thornhill, the fastest way to be seen is to call your nearest LMC clinic directly. Our team will tell you whether we can fit you in today, what to do until you arrive, and whether you should go straight to the ER instead.
Call us first. Don’t drive yourself if your vision is affected. And if it’s after hours and the situation can’t wait, go directly to your nearest emergency department, then follow up with LMC the next day for proper eye-specific assessment and recovery support.
You’ll find our Barrie location in the Barrie Primary Care Campus on Bayview Drive.
You’ll find our Bayview location in the CNIB building.
Please note, the Bayview clinic does not carry eyeglass frames.
We have moved from King Street to Martha Street where we are on the second floor of the Bolton Professional Building.
You’ll find our Brampton location in SmartCentres Bramport on Bovaird Drive East.
Visit our Ottawa location in Cedarview Square off Tartan Drive.
Please note, the Ottawa clinic does not carry eyeglass frames.
We are located in the McDonald’s plaza on the corner of Bathurst and Tower Hill.
Closed on Saturdays of long weekends.
You’ll find our Scarborough location in the Ellesmere medical building.
Please note, the Scarborough clinic does not carry eyeglass frames.
LMC Thornhill Optometric Centre is located in the Tim Horton’s plaza, just off Steeles Avenue West.
You’ll find our Barrie location in the Barrie Primary Care Campus on Bayview Drive.
You’ll find our Bayview location in the CNIB building.
Please note, the Bayview clinic does not carry eyeglass frames.
We have moved from King Street to Martha Street where we are on the second floor of the Bolton Professional Building.
You’ll find our Brampton location in SmartCentres Bramport on Bovaird Drive East.
Visit our Ottawa location in Cedarview Square off Tartan Drive.
Please note, the Ottawa clinic does not carry eyeglass frames.
We are located in the McDonald’s plaza on the corner of Bathurst and Tower Hill.
Closed on Saturdays of long weekends.
You’ll find our Scarborough location in the Ellesmere medical building.
Please note, the Scarborough clinic does not carry eyeglass frames.
LMC Thornhill Optometric Centre is located in the Tim Horton’s plaza, just off Steeles Avenue West.
“Service is always fast. Staff are friendly. Dr. Blackstein has taken excellent care of me since I began seeing him.”
Lori Cutler – Vaughn
“The Optometrist explained everything to us and did a very thorough exam. She was very helpful and patient, and answered all of our questions.”
Deborah Cormack – Barrie
“Staff was happy and friendly. It was a pleasure to see, think I will return in a year for another check up.”
Michael Kondring – Barrie
“Dr M Sher was really good.”
Jim Gray – Vaughn
“Very good customer service.”
Johnny Geniole – Barrie
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