Eye Emergencies in Fort Collins

Eye Emergencies

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

Schedule Eye Exam

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 Foothills Vision and Eye Care for emergency eye care Our Fort Collins optometrists can help you preserve your vision and eye health.

eye emergency treated at Foothills Vision and Eye Care

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!


Give Your Eyes the Care They Deserve

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


Urgent Eye Care

Our optometry practice in Fort Collins

Photograph of Scott  Haugen
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Patient Reviews
4.9
129 Reviews
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- Mar. 14, 2023
I have been a patient of Dr. Skrdla for many years. I ALWAYS get exceptional, professional, friendl... y service every visit.
- Feb. 25, 2023
Dr. Skrdla is truly the BEST! He’s extremely knowledgeable -not just about everything related to e... ye and vision health but also so much more. I’ve been his patient for 15+ years and I trust him more than any other doctor I’ve seen in that time. I have some complex medical issues (mostly unrelated to my eyes/vision) that he somehow knows more about than most of the specialists I see who are supposed to be experts in those issues… I wish he was a primary care physician. Everyone I’ve ever recommended him to have become longtime patients of his and all feel the same way. Make an appointment with him and you’ll see :-).
- Feb. 24, 2023
Dr Haugen and staff are great! They are friendly and courteous and answered all my questions. Felt... very comfortable during the appointment.
- Feb. 24, 2023
Dr Skrdla is awesome highly recommend him.
- Feb. 22, 2023
Everyone was extremely friendly, helpful and professional. A great experience!
- Feb. 21, 2023
Everyone is super friendly and informative.
- Feb. 13, 2023
Very professional and friendly Dr McClelland was great
- Jan. 23, 2023
Dr Skrdla is fantastic. I enjoy seeing him each year ! He is thorough, on time, personable and sma... rt. Our whole family sees him for our eye exams. Definitely the best there is!
- Jan. 21, 2023
Great eye care
- Jan. 20, 2023
Dr. Skrdla and his staff are wonderful! Great customer service and extremely knowledgeable!
- Jan. 10, 2023
Dr. Haugen has seen me since I was really little. I had complex issues with my eyes and I always fel... t seen at his office. Highly recommend for parents of bespectacled littles 🙂 I have a recent great story though- I live in Chicago but had seen him for a check up while I was in Colorado for a while last winter. But when I switched insurance and needed another pair of glasses, I found an in-network clinic who required a re-exam to give me new glasses. They ended up giving me the wrong prescription! One eye far sighted and the other nearsighted- I think they accidentally typed a plus sign. I bought glasses through a third party because ironically that clinic was too expensive, and of course when I received them they were totally wrong. I called them and they basically brushed me off, and the third party also couldn’t do anything because they had followed the prescription I handed them. So I decided to try and call Dr. Haugen (whose problem this definitely wasn’t!) just a bit before his office closed. He answered himself, sent the correct prescription, and got it fixed for me- when I was all the way in Chicago!
- Jan. 07, 2023
Absolutely fantastic place. I have been going there with my family for 12 years with 4 family memb... ers who need their services and they have always met or exceeded any expectations I would have.
- Dec. 30, 2022
Dr. Skrdla is very knowledgeable and the rest of the staff is extremely friendly and understanding. ... I highly recommend this place!
- Dec. 22, 2022
Happy to be a patient of theirs for many years.
- Dec. 18, 2022
Turnaround was only one week for my new glasses. The lab they use is quite good.
- Dec. 14, 2022
Wonderful staff, great care, and takes their time to make you feel you got individualized care.
- Dec. 08, 2022
Love Dr. Haugen and staff! Always friendly and never pushy. My whole family are patients. Glad we fo... und them. Would recommend to everyone!
- Dec. 07, 2022
Annual eye exam is professional and extremely competent. Would highly recommend Dr. Haugen and his s... taff.
- Dec. 05, 2022
I love the whole team. Always friendly. I am a geek, so I love the technology used to get the best d... iagnosis. And when things don't go perfectly, the team is always eager to help. Always impressed!
- Nov. 29, 2022
Dr. Skrdla is an excellent optometrist. Our family has gone to him for years. He is very thorough, c... ompetent, personable and the appointments are timely. In and out very quickly. Highly recommend he and his staff.

View All 129 Reviews

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 Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins as soon as possible.


Woman with red eyes holding her head

Have an eye emergency?

Protect your vision by contacting Foothills Vision and Eye Care in Fort Collins without delay!

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