Foreign objects or stabbing pains in your eye? Don’t wait!
Eye Emergencies in Washington
Experiencing a stab of pain in your eye?
Sudden changes in vision? Images appearing faded, blurry or foggy?
Got chemicals or another foreign object or substance in your eye?
Come visit Metropolitan Optical – Pennsylvania Ave. for emergency eye care.
Our Washington optometrists can help you preserve your vision and eye health.
We understand that accidents happen.
Our optometrists know exactly what to do to help you through your eye care emergency.
Whether it’s a workplace accident, an at-home incident, or some other emergency requiring immediate attention, we’re here to help you preserve your eye health and sight!
What To Do If You Have an Eye Emergency
First things first. Don’t panic! Staying calm is the best way to help you think straight and help those around you to remain calm. Often, it’s not necessary to go to an emergency room for eye emergencies. In fact, the vast majority of people who go to the emergency room for eye care could have received treatment from their local optometrist instead.
If you’re unsure whether you’re experiencing an eye emergency, give us a call immediately! Delay may increase the risk of serious complications and may result in vision loss.
Until you see your eye doctor or seek urgent care, avoid the following:
- Don’t try to remove an embedded object out of your eye
- If your eye is injured, don’t press on it or rub it
- Dry cotton and sharp instruments such as tweezers should never be used on the eye.
Whether you’ve had a workplace accident or an at-home incident, our eye doctors are here to help
Eye Emergencies FAQs
Eye emergencies are anything that may cause permanent damage to your eyes or vision without timely intervention from an eye care professional.
The most common types of eye emergencies include:
- A blow, poke or other trauma to the eye
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Chemical spills in the eye
- Foreign object embedded in the eye
- Sudden appearance of light flashes or floaters
- Contact lens lost in the eye
Symptoms of an eye infection typically include itching, burning, redness, crusty and watery eyes. See a Washington eye doctor if your symptoms last over 4 days or if you experience intense pain, redness, blurred vision or light sensitivity.
Most of the time, a person can easily remove debris from the eye by repeatedly blinking to get the debris out. If that doesn’t work, you can wash your eye with saline (sterile salt water) to flush out any dust and dirt from your eye, or use streaming tap water.
However, you may scratch your cornea while attempting to get an object out which can cause further sight-threatening complications.
So the best thing you can do in this kind of eye emergency is to get to your eye doctor in Washington as soon as possible.
Patient Reviews
4.5
222 Reviews
Daniel M. - May 23, 2026
My first ever eye exam was done at Metro Optical. This place was so clean and had an amazing atmosph... Show Moreere. The front desk woman was very kind and explained all processes nicely. The tech who took tests on my eyes was nice as well. The actual eye doctor was so sweet and cheerful I would recommend anyone do business with her. She explained everything so intelligently and in a digestable way, I would go back to her for any other eye exam I need. The worker who helped pick out glasses was also a very swell guy. He was kind when explaining costs and helping find the right pair of glasses. I recommend anyone who needs to get their eyes checked out to come here!
Darlene G. - May 21, 2026
I love this place! Staff were awesome, eye wear selection was nice, and the Dr. was great!
Have an eye emergency?
Protect your vision by contacting Metropolitan Optical – Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington without delay!