Eye Emergencies in South Lake Union

Eye Emergencies in South Lake Union

Foreign objects or stabbing pains in your eye? Don’t wait!

(206) 420-7366

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 Urban Optix for emergency eye care.

Our South Lake Union optometrists can help you preserve your vision and eye health.

eye emergency treated at Urban Optix

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

close-up of eye

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

What is considered an eye emergency?

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
Does an eye infection require urgent care?

Symptoms of an eye infection typically include itching, burning, redness, crusty and watery eyes. See a South Lake Union eye doctor if your symptoms last over 4 days or if you experience intense pain, redness, blurred vision or light sensitivity.

What should I do if a foreign object enters my eye?

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, to scratch your cornea while attempting to get an object out which can cause further site-threatening complications.

So the best thing you can do in this kind of eye emergency is to get to your eye doctor in South Lake Union as soon as possible.

Patient Reviews
4.5
181 Reviews
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- May. 09, 2024
Wonderful staff. Great office and they make sure you are satisfied with their service.
- Apr. 30, 2024
Warm and friendly staff. Doctors are super patient with you, answer all your questions and also help... you understand your eye exam results.
- Apr. 11, 2024
Love this place. Staff is always so friendly and knowledgeable. Can't recommend enough
- Apr. 04, 2024
I had an appointment to get fitted for contact lenses for the first time and my experience was great... ! Everyone was so nice (Dr. Yu, Anna, and receptionist I didn’t catch the name of). They all took their time explaining everything I needed to know about contacts and were patient and helpful teaching me how to put them in and care for them. Thank you guys!
- Mar. 01, 2024
A great place for eye exams & purchasing frames and lenses. Great experience.
- Feb. 05, 2024
When I left my job, I didn't go to Urban Optix for a couple years. But I couldn't find a place that ... had the same service and vibe. This is such a sweet place. They are quick, fun, and have great taste. And they always ask about my dog/child. lol.
- Feb. 05, 2024
Great !!! Everything
- Jan. 21, 2024
I recently came to Urban Optix as a new patient and had an amazing experience! I scheduled my appoin... tment online, and had my annual exam with Dr. Lee. She is amazing, and so thorough and kind! She took her time to explain everything, and was extremely patient in answering all my questions—no matter how big or small. I love finding great doctors that actually care, and no doubt I’ve found a good one with Dr. Lee. I also wanted to give contacts a try after 10+ years of glasses, so we did it. Anna was training me and she was the kindest, most patient teacher ever. She was giving me love demos with her own contacts, and never once made me feel like a nuisance. It took me an hour to get them in, and after an hour of trying to get them out Dr. Lee had to help, lol. But that’s on me, they were doing nothing but being supportive and cheering me on. I’d also like to note that they are VERY transparent with pricing and what you’re going to be paying before you do anything at all. Not once did I feel like I didn’t know what was going on or what I was being charged for. Kudos to the team for being so thorough with all my insurance info and copays! All this to say, I had an amazing experience and will certainly be coming back as long as Dr. Lee is here!
- Jan. 06, 2024
Everyone is nice and professional!
- Dec. 30, 2023
Fantastic staff and Dr. Lee is amazing! Very knowledgeable and friendly!
- Dec. 29, 2023
I've been coming to Urban Optix for a few years and it's always been an excellent experience! Helpf... ul and knowledgable staff, never have to wait for my appointment, and Dr. Traci Lee is just amazing! Highly recommend this shop.
- Dec. 16, 2023
Great experience with the doctor and the staff.
- Nov. 27, 2023
Everyone here was awesome! So sweet and welcoming definitely recommend urban optix! Anna was really ... great to chat with while picking out my glasses
- Nov. 25, 2023
The entire staff is very customer service oriented. Dr. Thoreby is a great 👍 optometrist, explain... ed every step of the eye exam helping to learn how to take care of your eyes and always asked if you have any questions.
- Sep. 23, 2023
Great group of humans here. Very friendly, informative, and efficient!
- Sep. 14, 2023
Traci Lee is the very best. Such a professional, and extremely thorough.
- Jan. 13, 2023
I've been going to Dr. Traci and Urban Optix on and off since 2016 and they are great-easy to schedu... le, great location, updated technology, and a great selection of glasses. I had to use a different clinic for a few years due to poor coverage with my grad student insurance (although I've heard that UO's insurance policies have been updated and UW GAIP goes a lot further now), and I found UO to have much more modern and proactive eye medicine than the other place I tried. Their frames selection is the best I've ever seen and they have unique glasses (such as Masunaga) you cannot find anywhere else, the staff are experts on fit, lenses, etc, and the prices are very fair (even when I switched clinics, I always bought frames here). They've gone out of their way to order frames for me and work with me on payment options when I was a PhD student struggling to afford glasses. UO loyal!
- Jan. 09, 2023
i had such a great experience here (: dr lee is awesome. she was so helpful, and because my insuranc... e wasn’t going to cover the cost of my new glasses, she made sure i didn’t feel any pressure to buy some while i was there. i ended up getting a pair anyway and the person that helped me with the frames was so sweet. totally recommend this place! 💞
- Dec. 29, 2022
Urban Optix is the absolute best. I’ve been going for over 5 years now. Beyond the customer experi... ence, a full 5 starts. Dr. Lee and Dr. Thoreby are both outstanding. I’ve seen both of them over the past few years and they take the time to get to know me as a patient, my lifestyle, and concerns with my eye sight and health conditions. I’ve recommended them to folks around me, but finally getting to this long over due 5 star review! 🙂 See you in the new year!
- Nov. 21, 2022
Decided to get contacts and had my training with Gigi. She is super patient and supportive, and real... ly encouraged me to finish it. Also really appreciate Cathy for my first training. The eye exam was also very smooth with Dr. Sean and he is also very responsive regarding to my questions.

View All 181 Reviews

Urgent Eye Care in South Lake Union

Our optometry practice in South Lake Union

Photograph of Sean  Thoreby
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Anthem
  • EyeMed
  • Blue Cross
  • First Choice Health

Woman with red eyes holding her head

Have an eye emergency?

Protect your vision by contacting Urban Optix in South Lake Union without delay!

(206) 420-7366