Eye injury - To not go to the a&e?

[Lonelycats]

Hi, I hate going to the hospital or the gp and will do anything to avoid it, and I’d be so appreciative if anyone has any advice for me!

I hit my eye on my car door, it violently swung back and the corner of the door hit me right in the eye with some force. Awful. I had just been shopping and had some frozen beans so I was able to instantly apply that as a cooling pack.

the eye looks normal but is sore, and my vision is just a little blurry. No flashes of light or patches of darkness in my field of vision. No photosensitivity.

please tell me that I can let this heal/recover on it’s own? Any red flags which would prompt a call to the gp? Really really don’t want to go but obviously don’t want to compromise my vision if that’s a risk.

As my wise dad would say, you can’t be too careful with eyes. I’d get checked personally (my Dad would go ape shit if I didn’t, yes I am a fully grown woman!).

Do not waste your time going to Specsavers. Go to A&E or better still to an Eye A&E.
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Thanks everyone. Always helpful to sense check.

just rang 111 and due to industrial action they refer you to 111 online, and 999 only for life threatening injuries

Thankfully not!

Junior doctors are on strike from tomorrow morning, I think my chances of getting this looked at are slim

Please just get checked over at the very least. Don't mess around with eyesight.

You are being stupid to consider not going

Thanks, really nice.

Don't be me! I injured my eye, ignored it until a while later (a couple of weeks) it became unbearably painful and so blurry I couldn't see at all. I did then go to A&E (the GP tried to make me go to an optician; when I called one they said that obviously they could do nothing for me) where they told me that I had an corneal ulcer, that I could have lost my sight in that eye and (they didn't quite say this but came pretty close) that I was an absolute idiot who probably deserved to lose my sight. It took ages to heal and I can still feel it when I get really tired, go on an airplane or if my hay fever is bad. Again, there is no need for you to repeat my mistake!

You should get it checked asap but if you decide not to go to A&E tonight then get an emergency appointment with an optician tomorrow morning at least.

I say this with love OP... you'd be a bloody fool if you don't go to A&E and get your eyes checked. It's just not worth the risk of leaving it, ever, with eyes.

@Lonelycats Do not go to an optician, go to an eye clinic's A&E.

Go.

Any pain or problems with vision needs looking at as a priority. A&E tonight.

Go now then. To A&E. Get someone to drive you.
GO NOW

That's tomorrow go tonight. You maybe sent to the eye clinic who will not be on strike. I've had six eye operations and have five different drops in my eyes morning and night. All this saved my sight. So please go

If your vision is blurred you need to get this seen - start with 111. They can make you an immediate appointment with the eye team. They once made me an appointment in A&E.

It is unlikely to be a torn retina as the prime symptom is circles of flashing light - I know - I have had one!

We have an eye hospital, with an A&E (It's just another bit of a hospital, not a special massive hospital or anything!). Do you have anything like that near you?

It's not necessarily the kind of thing you know about unless you need it. Worth checking.

Do get it checked, sounds nasty.

If you don't get it looked at you could be risking permanent damage to your sight.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/eye-injuries/

NHS advice states any changes to sight - which you have mentioned blurriness needs A&E or 999.

An eye clinic A&E would clearly be ideal but just to reiterate that if that's not an option normal A&E is still worthwhile. They were able to examine my eye and numb it (which was amazing sweet relief) and referred me to the hospital eye clinic for the moment it opened since it doesn't have an out of hours service.

And the strike tomorrow is even more reason to go tonight OP! You'd be so foolish not to go. Never, ever mess about when it comes to your eyes.

I work in a hospital (theatres) and we deal with eyes. If junior docs are on strike it's likely you'll be seen by a consultant if they think there's an issue. We've operated on eyes in the middle of the night before when there's been an injury - if you're vision is blurry I can't stress enough how important it is just to get it checked, even if everything turns out to be fine it really isn't worth the risk. You can't get your sight back once it's gone!!

Same. (Or, similar !) I nicked my eye when pulling on a sweater in a hurry one morning, thought ah I'll be reet, carried on ... Nope. Corneal abrasion, infection, eventual recurrent erosion, also developed hypertension (which is what leads to glaucoma - I was in my 30s! And terrified)

Don't fuck about with your eyes.

Ringing moorfields is an excellent shout as per a pp. They can refer you.

The concern here is a detached retina which can and does happen with head/ dace injury. Eminently treatable, but if not treated likely to result in loss of vision.
you really must get seen ASAP. They will be able to look into your eye with a special machine (painless/ no contact) if it looks ok you’ve only wasted a few hours with no invasive tests. If something going on then they treat eye issues incredibly seriously- you will have a repair done asap.

You need that checked out asap. Don't be a baby. It's your sight. Look after it. You might have scratched the eyeball. They can give you drops to take pain away.

Don't fuck about with your eyes. sums up the thread really OP. Just go and get it looked at.