Eye Emergencies in Southborough

Eye Emergencies in Southborough

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

(508) 481-8558

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 Vision Care Specialists for emergency eye care.

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

eye emergency treated at Vision Care Specialists

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 Southborough 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 Southborough as soon as possible.

Patient Reviews
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- Jun. 03, 2024
I have been going to the eye doctor for 23 years and I don't believe that I've had a better experien... ce with an eye doctor! Dr. White was thorough, not pushy, and personable. I have bounced around eye doctors for a long time, but will see Dr. White consistently going forward and will have my family see him as well. The front office was also friendly and everything was smooth and easy.
- Nov. 10, 2023
After noticing I was having double vision, I went to see Dr. Abbondanza hoping to get some help. I�... �m forever grateful for Dr. Abbondanza and his team for creating a vision therapy plan for me and teaching me the tools to improve my vision. As with other therapies, vision therapy requires hard work from the patient but having Lynne and Niki as my therapists helped me stay accountable. They encouraged me and were genuinely happy about my weekly progress. Thank you all for what you do, it truly makes a difference.
- Aug. 26, 2023
I am visiting from overseas and ended up with a pretty bad eye infection. Luckily I was able to get ... an appointment with Dr. John Abbondanza right away at the Vision Care Specialists. Everyone there was so friendly and helpful and with the very professional help I received from Dr. John and his assistants, my infection got better very quickly so I could still enjoy my vacation. Thank you very much!! If you are looking for someone who really looks after you, I can really highly recommend the Vision Care Specialists!!
- Aug. 21, 2023
Dr Abbondanza and his team are truly the best. Everyone is extremely hospitable and treats you with ... the most amount of care. They are very diligent with the examinations and follow up. I would recommend VCS to anyone looking for an optometrist office!!
- Jul. 25, 2023
Professional, excellent, compassionate care. Staff are efficient and courteous. Dr. A. was thorough,... took the time to explain what he was doing and what he observed, and made sure any questions I had were answered fully. Highly recommend!
- Jul. 11, 2023
The best most professional Eye Dr services ...
- Oct. 14, 2022
An excellent experience. My daughter was the patient, new to the practice. Everyone was professiona... l and friendly. Her eye exam was quite thorough & Dr. John gave us a complete rundown of his findings and suggestions on how to remediate her visual processing issues. His approach was both detailed and thoughtful and he took time to answer our questions. Recommend this practice highly.
- Feb. 01, 2022
My family and I have been going to this practice for over 15 years and the staff are all incredible.... They are all very friendly and go above and beyond what you would typically expect when visiting the Optometrist. Getting your eyes checked with them is truly an enjoyable experience. When I was younger I saw Dr. Abbondanza for Vision Therapy because I had trouble reading and it made a world of difference for me. For the past several years I have been seeing Dr. Levine for orthokeratology which provides perfect vision for 24 hours a day, without the discomfort that can sometimes accompany daytime lenses. Recently I had an ophthalmological emergency late at night during a blizzard. Dr. Abbondanza worked with me on the phone for several hours while we struggled to find a pharmacy that was open and accessible during the storm. The next day, a Sunday, Dr. Levine met me at his otherwise closed offices in order to examine my eye, and give me more information regarding the issue and treatment. It is rare to find doctors who care so much for their patients and go to such extreme lengths to help them. Even in the event that I moved across the country I could see myself flying home any time I needed to see the eye doctors at VCS.
- Jan. 07, 2022
Dr Levine and Dr Abbondanza are both fantastic. Dr Levine has treated me for years. I have some comp... lex eye issues and have received expert care. He dramatically improved my vision. I have had a few urgent eye concerns, and I was seen promptly. He diagnosed 2 issues that had gone unnoticed by more than 1 neurologist. One thing he picked up may have saved my life. I mean that truly, and as a physician not just a happy patient. Optometry students do rotations and when I asked if it was “just me or does Dr. Levine have more than the usual amount of fancy high tech machines” and one student told me that yes, he does. He said students are eager to come here. I think it’s really cool to see an image of the inside of your eye. As is true for all good doctors/dentists/optomotrists, a new patient appt might take awhile to book as he has lots of repeat patients. It is worth the wait. His office is well run. He has had almost no staff turnover that I have seen. The opticians are top notch - best I have worked with ever. Pricing for glasses is transparent. There are never “secret” or unexpected charges at the time of pick up. The office manager/secretaries are wonderful and the office is very well run. COVID-precaution wise his office procedures are excellent.
- Oct. 20, 2021
Everyone at this office is so kind and helpful! All of my concerns were addressed by Dr. Abbondanza,... and the opticians and receptionists were amazing as well!! Highly recommend this practice!
- Jun. 08, 2021
The explanations of the exam were superb! Taking the time to talk and explain made this the best eye... exam. High points for the carefulness and concern shown
- Jun. 03, 2021
My experience with Dr. John was absolutely delightful! Who knew you could actually enjoy going to th... e eye doctor? His exam of my eyes was the most thorough and comprehensive I have ever received. In addition, he was genuinely kind and explained everything he was doing and seeing in great detail. I recommend this practice without hesitation!
- May. 21, 2021
The best authentic and genuinely pleasant people to be around. Made going to the eye doctor a pleasu... re that I can say I enjoyed and will look forward to and recommend. The doctor was very clear, fun, intelligent, thorough, and skilled at communicating and staying organized. My health was assessed thoroughly and everything was explained very well. The good mood and positive energy is contagious.
- May. 17, 2021
Very Happy with Dr. John and Staff. Exam was very thorough. I did not feel rushed and Dr. John an... swered all my questions and concerns I am so happy to be with Vision Care. Thank you for your excellent service.
- May. 03, 2021
I didn't see an optometrist there. I just went to get a new pair of glasses. The opticians were very... polite and professional and take Covid-19 precautions very seriously.
- Apr. 12, 2021
Dr Levine is truly helping to save my daughter's vision! She started with glasses in preschool and n... ow 4 years later has the vision of someone 4x her age. We are using eye drops at night and a check up every few months to monitor the changes and Dr Levine is right on top of things. Anytime I have a question he takes the time to answer and explain everything to me. I would highly recommend Vision Care Specialists!!
- Oct. 30, 2020
This was my first ever eye exam and glasses buying experience and I must give the folks at Vision Ca... re Specialist a AAA+++ rating. Dr. Levine and the staff I interacted with were all great. They made me feel very comfortable and answered all my questions without hesitation. After the exam, they worked with me to find just the right frames. Even ordering a pair in an alternative color for me to try on, only for me to pick yet another pair that caught my eye when I went back to see them. I can't wait to pick them up. They do take their Covid precautions seriously, but everything is well thought out and I again felt very safe and comfortable during both visits. I would most definitely recommend them to family and friends and you.
- Oct. 27, 2020
My daughter was referred to Dr. Abbondanza after my sister-in-law (also an optometrist) had noticed... she was having some tracking issues. She was evaluated and a very thorough and comprehensive vision therapy plan was put in place. The team and Vision Care Specialist was amazing and everyone there was supportive and encouraging. During the tail end of her treatment, we were all put into lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. VCS communicated their plan throughout the entire time. Not wanting her to miss her last few session (she was SO close to finishing) they organized online sessions with Dr. Abbondanza so my daughter would stay on track. Her follow up evaluation went great and I have seen a noticeable improvement in her reading skills and comprehension as well as her self confidence! She was a good student to begin with, but as the material gets more difficult and dense I feel she now has to tools to keep up with her studies. Thanks to Dr. Abbondanza and his team at VCS!
- Sep. 23, 2020
This place is amazing. I have been going to see Dr Abbondanza for 10+ years. He is really passiona... te about what he does and is excellent at his job--always gets complicated issues right on the first try. I moved over an hour away and I still came back to see him. During Covid, his team has gone out of their way to help me. I needed new glasses but because of underlying health conditions, I couldn't come into the building to pick out new frames. Working with Kristin in the optical dept, she was open to figuring out how to get me a new pair, which included coming out to my car to get an ancient pair of glasses out of my trunk, taking them back to the office to do measurements, and bringing them down again. She researched to get me an almost exact same frame and had them sent to me. Amazing. These are trying times and I can't thank them enough for helping me out of a tough spot. I am forever in their debt. You won't go wrong by using them. They are good, good people.
- Sep. 05, 2020
Very thorough and professional eye exam. The doctor really worked with me to make sure my glasses wo... uld work for me. Knowledgeable and helpful opticians.

View All 53 Reviews

Urgent Eye Care in Southborough

Our optometry practice in Southborough

Photograph of John  Abbondanza
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
  • Sunday Closed
  • Nov. 28 Closed
  • Dec. 24 Closed
  • Dec. 25 Closed
  • Jan. 01 Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • Aetna
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • EyeMed
  • Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
  • Unicare

Woman with red eyes holding her head

Have an eye emergency?

Protect your vision by contacting Vision Care Specialists in Southborough without delay!

(508) 481-8558