On-the-job
eye injuries
require immediate attention.
All eye injuries and many eye infections are
considered to be a medical emergency. Unfortunately,
emergency rooms do not have the proper instrumentation,
the necessary staff or knowledge to handle most eye
injuries, infections or trauma.
This type of care is highly specialized.
Our doctors are trained Eye Care Professionals
with state of the art equipment to treat the majority of
eye injuries or infections at our Sylmar facility.
We
have found that foreign bodies, especially metal, flying
into an eye and embedding in the cornea are a major
problem. It is a well established fact that embedded
iron and related metal will rust in the eye in only a
few hours. Rust is highly toxic to eyes and must be
removed as soon as possible, often with surgical drills.
No emergency room in this area is equipped to do that.
Many
items will embed into the soft tissue of the cornea. All
embedded metals and even stone materials can cause toxic
reactions and eye infections. Embedded wood can cause
fungal infections. Rapid removal of embedded foreign
bodies by trained doctors is crucial for a good result.
Never try to remove any embedded particle from an eye
yourself.
This can cause further corneal damage
Safety
glasses
Special safety
glasses are needed for most factories, machine shops,
and especially those working with chemicals. Chemicals
cause various corneal burns, as the tissue is very
delicate. Approved safety glasses are also mandatory for
any worker whose job involves welding torches and metal
cutting. These workers, when not wearing their safety
glasses, often incur severe eye injuries which must be
treated immediately. The faster the treatment is begun,
the better the success rate of total cure. The Sylmar
vision Center has teamed up with the largest safety
laboratory in the country, Essilor, to supply OSHA
approved safety glasses in any prescription to all
personnel where needed.
(see our safety
eyeglasses page)
Helpful Tips:
Signs/Symptoms of a
Foreign Body in the eye:
1. Mild
to severe pain
2. Scratching
sensation in eye or lid
3. Sensitivity
to light
4. Difficulty
in opening eye
5.
Mild to severe redness of eye
6.
Constant burning sensation
If you feel there is
something in the eye.
1.
Do not rub your eyes
2.
Keep eyes closed to avoid excessive blinking
3.
Seek professional care,
immediately. The longer you wait, the more you risk
complications.
If
your employees work with chemicals, it would be
beneficial to have a container filled with distilled
water next to their work area. If any employee
accidentally has chemical contact with their eye, the
immediate flushing of that affected eye with water
significantly reduces the amount of damage that chemical
can cause.
Flush an eye for at least five minutes and then rush the
patient over to an eye care facility.
Remember; if you have any
eye emergency call immediately or come right in.
Our office hours are weekdays 9:00- 6:00,
Saturday,
9:00-1:00,
Closed
Sunday.
After-hours emergency number (661) 904-0275.
Many medical insurances
are accepted. Your employee will be seen within minutes,
not hours as in all local emergency rooms.
The
Sylmar Vision
Center
thevisioncenter.com
(818)
367-1015
Emergency care at the Sylmar Vision Center
The
Sylmar
Vision
Center
staff is fully bilingual. The doctors have all had
advanced training in primary care optometry and treating
eye injuries. The staff has been informed that all
foreign bodies are considered to be an emergency and
these patients are seen before all others. Your
employees do not have to wait many hours to be seen.
Paperwork is kept at a minimum and fees are the lowest
in the area.
Commonly, a foreign body removal will take less than 30
minutes and associated rust removal will usually add
about 20 minutes more. A prescription for a necessary,
frequently used and powerful anti-biotic will be
written. We will always schedule a mandatory follow-up
appointment, usually in 24 – 48 hours.
Many eye
infections also fit into this treatment and time frame,
however, follow-up appointments may up to one week.
Emergency room care will often involve voluminous
paperwork, many hours of waiting, exceptionally high
fees and a lack of knowledge about handling eye
injuries. Outside doctors are often called to the
emergency room to see these patients adding many hours
of waiting and much higher fees. The
Sylmar
Vision
Center
is most often a one stop office and referrals to other
health care providers are seldom needed.
Severe chemical burns are
different matter. Rapid stabilization of your employee,
analysis of the visual condition and correct care is
most critical. Severe chemical burns, once stabilized,
will usually involve an immediate referral to other
medical specialists. Speedy stabilization is a most
important factor.
Sylmar
Vision
Center
Safety Glass Program
We have teamed up with
Essilor, the largest manufacturer of approved safety
glasses in the country. The Essilor representative can
come to your company and recommend the safety glass
program that is correct for your employees. There are no
charges or hidden fees for this service.
HOW
IT WORKS:
Usually a simple form is filled out at your facility
stating that your employee needs a vision check and
safety glasses. A phone call is made to set up an
appointment. Your employee’s eyes are examined at a
highly reduced fee and a prescription, if needed, for
safety glasses is given to our technicians. Employees
can then pick from a collection of eyeglass frames that
your company management has approved with Essilor.
Prescription lenses and frames approved by OSHA will be
provided by the Essilor laboratory, sent to our Sylmar
office and dispensed to your employees. Employees can
have their OSHA approved safety glasses within one week.
The
Sylmar
Vision
Center
will also make sure that all prescriptions are correct
and glasses are fitted as per OSHA rules.
Non-prescription glasses are usually provided at the
company level.
Safety
glasses demand specially approved safety frames and lenses
made in a safety glass laboratory.
Regular dress or street glasses are NOT
considered to be safety glasses.
SYLMAR VISION CENTER