Eye Emergencies in St. Augustine

Eye Emergencies in St. Augustine

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

(904) 824-0212

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 Rowe Family EyeCare for emergency eye care.

Our St. Augustine optometrists can help you preserve your vision and eye health.

eye emergency treated at Rowe Family EyeCare

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 St. Augustine 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 St. Augustine as soon as possible.


Patient Reviews
4.8
239 Reviews
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- Jun. 27, 2025
Very thorough and trustworthy information given.
- Jun. 26, 2025
Brei and Morgan were so wonderful. They were all so accommodating and Dr.Mattox was absolutely amazi... ng.
- Jun. 26, 2025
Professional, efficient, friendly.
- Jun. 25, 2025
Fixed my glasses during their lunch break! Thanks Rowe
- Jun. 25, 2025
Friendly and professional
- Jun. 10, 2025
Great Service!
- Jun. 08, 2025
Nice people and great service. Appreciated how quickly I was able to get in for an appt.
- Jun. 03, 2025
Dr. Sierra Mattox and the sweet administrator that checked me out after my appointment were not only... amazing but were extremely informative not only answered all my questions but went over and beyond to make sure what I needed for further treatment was taken care of. Thank you ladies for a 10 star appointment:)
- May. 31, 2025
Great service & updated equipment all the staff helpful & Dr Maddox so nice to work with Glad i f... ound Rowe Family eye Care It’s a perfect fit for me Thank you all for the assistance with my eye care , glad I found you in St Augustine
- May. 26, 2025
Dr Mattox at Rowes’s eye care was wonderful. She was friendly and professional and was spot on wi... th my contact prescription.
- May. 23, 2025
I have nothing but great things to say about Rowe Family Eye Care! I was dealing with daily eye stra... in and headaches. After working with Dr. Brown, Patrice, and Kathy, those issues are gone. They were professional, efficient, and actually helped fix the problems. Highly recommend.
- May. 09, 2025
Our experience with the eye therapy specialist for ADHD has been absolutely incredible. The sessions... are engaging, supportive, and tailored perfectly to our child’s unique needs.
- May. 08, 2025
Very professional & always willing to help 😊
- May. 05, 2025
Popped in under very short notice as I had snapped off one of the nose pads on my glasses. Morgan no... t only repaired them in under five minutes but also adjusted the fitment of my frames to better fit my face. Was in and out in just ten minutes, thank you Morgan!
- Apr. 28, 2025
Very nice I would highly recommend
- Apr. 23, 2025
Wonderful staff ! Just would like to se more of a selection of glasses to choose from.
- Apr. 22, 2025
I've been coming here for years, and they are great. They even replaced my scratched lenses for free... even though it was a few days over my insurance period and gave me eye glass cleaner. It was so kind and showed me they care about their patients and are here to support you. It was also easy getting appointments and the office is clean and professional. They also have a great selection of eyeglasses. I got my favorite pair from here. I would definitely recommend coming here!
- Apr. 19, 2025
Rowe has a friendly, familial atmosphere. Efficient front desk staff. Optometry service is outstandi... ng- Nicholas is wonderful.
- Mar. 05, 2025
Ev
- Mar. 04, 2025
Sometimes it’s the simplest thing. Thank you, Nicholas, for silicone nose pads. I got 2 pairs of g... lasses and one was slipping down my nose. I tried sticking nose pads covers which didn’t help. Thanx, again, Nicholas.

View All 239 Reviews

Urgent Eye Care in St. Augustine

Our optometry practice in St. Augustine

Photograph of Austin Taylor
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • Thursday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Cigna
  • Superior Vision
  • Davis Vision
  • EyeMed

Woman with red eyes holding her head

Have an eye emergency?

Protect your vision by contacting Rowe Family EyeCare in St. Augustine without delay!

(904) 824-0212