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Eye emergency? Message us on WhatsApp first — every minute matters.
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Eye Emergency in Varanasi? Get help on WhatsApp — fast.

A chemical splash, sudden loss of vision, flashes and floaters after a fall, or a fragment stuck in the eye — every one of these has a golden window measured in minutes to hours. Message us on WhatsApp with a photograph of the eye and Dr. Shantanu Kumar Gupta will triage your case immediately.

Start emergency WhatsApp Call +91 83186 65154
First reply
within minutes (day) / 30 min (night)
Location
Durgakund, Varanasi
WhatsApp
+91 79058 54244
Recognise the emergency

Sight-threatening emergencies — what to do in the first minutes

The first few minutes are the most important. Do the right first-aid step at home while you WhatsApp us the details — it changes the outcome more than anything the doctor does later.

Chemical splash / lime / acid in the eye
GOLDEN 15 MINUTES
First aid at home

Immediately flush the eye with copious clean water or saline for a full 15-20 minutes before travelling. Do not stop early. Do not try to neutralise (e.g. water on acid, or vice versa). Then message us on WhatsApp with a photo of the eye — we'll coordinate immediate arrival.

Alkali (lime/whitewash/chuna) is worse than acid — it keeps penetrating. Every minute of delay damages more corneal stem cells.
Sudden painless vision loss
WITHIN 4 HOURS
First aid at home

Sudden, painless loss of vision in one eye can be a central retinal artery occlusion (a stroke of the eye). Do not lie down. Come immediately. If we're closed, go to the nearest emergency department while we coordinate.

Retinal artery occlusion has a 4-hour window before permanent damage. Diabetic retinopathy bleed and retinal detachment also present this way.
Sudden flashes + floaters + curtain over vision
SAME-DAY
First aid at home

A shower of new floaters, flashes of light, or a dark curtain / shadow moving across your visual field is a retinal detachment warning. Do not rub the eye. Avoid heavy lifting or sudden head movements. Come the same day for a dilated exam.

Left untreated, a peripheral retinal tear progresses to detachment within days — and detachment past the macula causes permanent central vision loss.
Foreign body / metal / glass in the eye
SAME-DAY
First aid at home

Do NOT rub the eye. Do NOT try to remove embedded objects yourself. Cover the eye lightly with a clean cloth (do not press). If both eyes are affected, cover both. Come immediately — embedded metal starts rusting into the cornea within hours.

Grinder / welding / hammer-and-chisel injuries frequently embed micro-fragments that patients think are 'gone' but which are lodged inside the cornea. Missed on GP exam.
Severe eye pain + redness + blurred vision + halos
WITHIN 6 HOURS
First aid at home

Severe pain with headache, nausea, blurred vision and coloured halos around lights can be an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack. This is a true emergency — the eye pressure needs to be lowered within hours to save vision.

Common in patients above 45, more so in women, and often triggered by dim-light activities. Untreated acute glaucoma causes permanent optic nerve damage within 24-48 hours.
Blunt trauma / eye punch / cricket ball / airbag hit
SAME-DAY
First aid at home

Do NOT rub or press the eye. If vision is affected, if there is bleeding inside the eye (visible red pool at the bottom of the coloured part), or if you saw flashes / floaters afterwards — come immediately. Cover the eye with a shield / plastic cup taped over, not a bandage.

Hyphaema (blood inside the eye), traumatic cataract and retinal tears can all follow a hit that seems 'mild' initially.
Critical don'ts

Never do these five things in an eye emergency

  • Do NOT rub the eye — you can drive a foreign body deeper or dislodge a retinal patch.
  • Do NOT apply home remedies (honey, milk, turmeric, urine, kajal, castor oil) — these delay real treatment and cause secondary infections.
  • Do NOT put pressure on a hit eye — this can rupture an already-weakened globe.
  • Do NOT wait for the eye to 'settle' overnight. Most sight-threatening emergencies have a golden window measured in hours.
  • Do NOT self-medicate with steroid eye drops (Predsol, Eco, Lo-Pred etc.) — steroids on top of a hidden infection or ulcer can cause blindness.
Fastest path to help

Send us these 4 things on WhatsApp

  1. A clear front-facing photograph of the affected eye in good light
  2. What happened, and when (time of injury / onset of symptom)
  3. Whether one eye or both are affected + your current vision
  4. Any first-aid already done and any allergies to medicines

Dr. Shantanu Kumar Gupta triages the message personally. For sight-threatening cases, we coordinate after-hours arrival at the clinic in Durgakund immediately.

WhatsApp now
How to reach us

Shantanu Netralaya — Durgakund, Varanasi

Address
40, Deen Dayal Colony, Kabir Nagar Road, Near Durgakund, Varanasi 221005
Clinic hours
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (by appointment)
Outside these hours — WhatsApp triage first.
Plus code
7XRW+32 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Open in Google Maps Call clinic
FAQs

Emergency eye care — frequently asked questions

Is there an emergency eye doctor available in Varanasi at night?
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Dr. Shantanu Kumar Gupta and Dr. Manisha Mishra coordinate on-call emergency eye care for Shantanu Netralaya patients. During non-clinic hours, please message us on WhatsApp with a description of the emergency and a clear photograph of the affected eye — we will triage the case and either arrange after-hours arrival at the clinic (for sight-threatening cases) or advise on immediate first-aid + earliest morning appointment.
What counts as an eye emergency that cannot wait until morning?
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Sight-threatening emergencies include: chemical splashes (lime, acid, chuna), sudden painless loss of vision in one eye, a sudden shower of new floaters or flashes with a shadow moving across vision (retinal detachment warning), severe eye pain with headache and haloes around lights (possible acute angle-closure glaucoma), high-velocity foreign body injuries (grinder, welding, hammer chips), and blunt eye trauma with bleeding inside the coloured part of the eye (hyphaema).
What is the first aid for a chemical splash in the eye before reaching the hospital?
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Immediately flush the eye with copious clean water or saline for a full 15-20 minutes without stopping. This is the single most important step and it must be done before travel — even a 5 minute delay while you drive to hospital worsens the injury. Do not try to neutralise (e.g. water on acid, or lemon on lime). After flushing, come immediately for pH testing and further treatment.
Can I drive myself to hospital during an eye emergency?
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No — for any sudden vision loss, severe pain, or trauma, please arrange someone else to drive. Even 'good enough' vision in one eye can hide serious depth-perception and side-vision loss that makes driving unsafe. If you're alone, call an auto / cab / ambulance.
How do I share an eye emergency with the doctor over WhatsApp?
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Send us a message on WhatsApp (+91 79058 54244). Include: (1) a clear front-facing photo of the affected eye in good light, (2) what happened and when, (3) whether vision is affected in one or both eyes, and (4) any first aid already done. We reply as fast as possible during clinic hours and coordinate after-hours arrival for sight-threatening cases.
Don't wait

When in doubt, WhatsApp first.

It costs nothing to send a photograph and get a fast triage decision — and it can save your vision.

Emergency WhatsAppSymptom checker (non-emergency)
Medical disclaimer

This article is for patient education. It is not a substitute for personalised medical advice, examination or diagnosis. If you have symptoms discussed here, please book an in-person consultation with a qualified ophthalmologist.