Guidance for urgent symptoms

Acute eye problems – what to do?

Some eye symptoms need prompt action. This page explains when to act immediately, when our urgent clinic can help and when a routine appointment is sufficient.

View urgent clinic hours at our practices

Sudden deterioration in vision
Severe pain or injury?

If in doubt, seek prompt medical assessment.

Eye emergency

Act immediately

Do not wait for a routine appointment if you have any of these symptoms:

sudden vision loss or significant visual impairment
new flashes, a shower of dark specks, many black spots or a shadow or curtain in your visual field
Chemical burns caused by cleaning products, acids, alkalis or other chemicals
severe eye injury or foreign objects in the eye
a very painful red eye, especially with nausea, headache or reduced vision
red, painful eyes in contact lens wearers
Sudden double vision
sudden visual field loss
severe pain, redness or reduced vision after eye surgery

For serious injuries, chemical burns, neurological symptoms or a severe sudden loss of vision:Please call the emergency number 112 or seek appropriate emergency care immediately.

First aid until medical care is available

Chemicals in the eye: Start rinsing immediately. Hold your eyelids open and rinse the affected eye with plenty of running water for 10 to 15 minutes, preferably lukewarm. Protect your other eye. Do not wait for a callback or until you reach a practice before rinsing. Then call 112.

An embedded or penetrating foreign object: Do not rub the eye, remove the object yourself or apply pressure. Cover the eye loosely without pressure and seek medical care immediately.

Sudden double vision or visual field loss If you also have paralysis, altered sensation, speech difficulties, severe dizziness or an unusually intense headache, a stroke is suspected. Call immediately: 112.

Three levels of urgency

Which description matches your symptoms?

This overview provides initial guidance. It does not replace a medical examination.

ANow

Eye emergency: seek assessment immediately

Typical examples:

sudden loss of vision
Flashes, dark specks, shadows or a curtain
Chemical burn
severe injury
Very painful red eye
Symptoms after eye surgery
New double vision or visual field loss occurring suddenly

What to do now

Seek medical assessment immediately. Call 112 for chemical burns, serious injuries or additional neurological symptoms such as paralysis, difficulty speaking or severe dizziness. For other urgent cases, call 116117 or contact an emergency eye care service.

BSeek assessment today

Sudden eye problem: urgent consultation

Typical examples:

A red eye with pain, discharge or light sensitivity
A gritty or scratchy feeling in the eye
Acute eyelid swelling
Stye: a painful, inflamed lump
Sudden distorted vision
acute worsening in known eye disease
Contact lens discomfort

What to do now

Please call ahead if possible. We will assess whether our urgent clinic is the right place for you.

CCan be planned

Routine eye problem: book a regular appointment

Typical examples:

Vision gradually worsening over weeks or months
Measuring a spectacle prescription or obtaining new glasses
Preventive eye examination
Stable glaucoma control
dry eyes for a long time without acute worsening
Floaters unchanged for months
Cataracts with gradually increasing glare
Cosmetic eyelid concerns
Prescriptions, referrals, certificates or copies of medical findings

What to do now

Book routine examinations and planned treatments online. For prescriptions, referrals, certificates or copies of results, please use our administrative contact options.

Book a routine appointment online

Good to know

What does "acute" mean?

An eye problem is acute when symptoms start suddenly, worsen clearly or come with warning signs such as pain, reduced vision, light sensitivity, double vision, flashes, shadows or injury.

Non-urgent does not mean unimportant It means a planned examination is more appropriate medically and easier to organise.

Five practices open

Urgent clinic hours at our practices

Patients are seen according to medical urgency, rather than simply in order of arrival. Please allow for waiting time.

Last updated: 6 August 2026. Short-notice changes are possible; please call ahead where possible.

Savignyplatz

Carmerstraße 7
10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Urgent clinic hours: Monday09:00–10:00Tuesday09:00–10:00Wednesday09:00–10:00Thursday09:00–10:00Friday09:00–10:00
Telephone number / contact: 030 / 313 383 0

Greifswalder Straße

Greifswalder Straße 137–138
10409 Berlin-Pankow

Urgent clinic hours: Monday08:00–09:00Tuesday08:00–09:00Wednesday08:00–09:00Thursday08:00–09:00Friday08:00–09:00On Tuesdays, regular consultations start at 14:00. The 08:00–09:00 slot is reserved exclusively for urgent eye care.
Telephone number / contact: 030 / 400 44 35 5

Wilmersdorfer Straße

Wilmersdorfer Straße 62
10627 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Urgent clinic hours: Monday09:00–10:00Tuesday14:00–15:00Wednesday09:00–10:00Thursday14:00–15:00Friday09:00–10:00
Telephone number / contact: 030 / 312 85 52

Schlegelstraße

Schlegelstraße 4
10115 Berlin-Mitte

Urgent clinic hours: Monday09:00–10:00Tuesday09:00–10:00WednesdaynoneThursdaynoneFriday09:00–10:00
Telephone number / contact: 030 / 282 89 34

A new practice in our network

Bayerischer Platz

Bayerischer Platz 9
10779 Berlin-Schöneberg

Urgent clinic hours: Monday08:00–09:00Tuesday08:30–09:30Wednesday08:00–09:00Thursday08:30–09:30 & 13:00–14:00Fridaynone
Telephone number / contact: 030 / 781 152 7

Opening on 12 October 2026

Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße

Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 46
Berlin-Charlottenburg

Urgent consultation hours from 12 October 2026: Monday08:00–09:00Tuesday08:00–09:00Wednesday10:00–11:00Thursday08:00–09:00Friday08:00–09:00
Telephone number / contact: 030 / 324 48 34

Note on Urgent consultation

Our urgent clinic is for eye symptoms that start suddenly or have clearly worsened. It does not replace routine screening, glasses prescriptions, surgical consultations or long-term monitoring.

Please bring your insurance card, medication list, current eye drops, previous examination results and any surgical reports you have.

Important note

This page cannot replace a medical examination or emergency care. If you are unsure or symptoms worsen quickly, seek prompt medical assessment.