Lawn mowers, weed trimmers and leaf blowers can throw dust and debris into the eye causing injury. Household chemicals such as drain cleaners, bleach, oven cleaners and battery acid can splash into the eye.
“To prevent these injuries it is important to wear appropriate safety equipment,” says the DMC. “Safety goggles should be worn when you are working with chemicals, in a workshop or when doing outdoor chores. Remember to attend only professional fireworks displays! Improper handling of fireworks can lead to permanent eye injuries.”
One of the greatest threats to your eyes is invisible. Studies show that exposure to bright sunlight may increase the risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and growths on the eye, including cancer. When spending time outdoors, sunglasses that have 97-100% UV protection should be worn. Styles that wrap around to the temples prevent the sun's rays from entering from the side.
Tips on preventing eye injuries from webmd:
Wear safety glasses, goggles, or face shields when you hammer nails or metal, work with power tools or chemicals, or do any activity that might cause a burn to your eyes. If you work with hazardous chemicals that could splash into your eyes, know how to flush chemicals out, and know the location of the nearest shower or sink.
If you are welding or near someone else who is welding, wear a mask or goggles designed for welding.
Wear protective eyewear during sports such as hockey, racquetball, or paintball that involve the risk of a blow to the eye. Baseball is the most common sport to cause eye injuries. Fishhook injuries are another common cause of eye injuries. Protective eyewear can prevent sports-related eye injuries more than 90% of the time. An eye examination may be helpful in determining what type of protective eyewear is needed.
Prevention tips for children
Most eye injuries happen in older children. They happen more often in boys than in girls. Toys-from crayons to toy guns-are a major source of injury, so check all toys for sharp or pointed parts. Household items, such as elastic cords, can also strike the eye and cause injury.
Teach your children about eye safety.
Be a good role model-always wear proper eye protection.
Get protective eyewear for your children and help them use it properly.
Teach children that flying toys should never be pointed at another person.
Teach children how to carry sharp or pointed objects properly.
Teach children that any kind of missile, projectile, or BB gun is not a toy.
Use safety measures near fires and explosives, such as campfires and fireworks.
Any eye injury that appears unusual for a child's age should be evaluated as possible childabuse.
Recognizing and Treating Eye Injuries
When an eye injury does occur, have anophthalmologist or other medical doctor examine the eye as soon as possible, even if the injury seems minor at first.
A serious eye injury is not always immediately obvious. Delaying medical attention can cause the damaged areas to worsen and could result in permanent vision loss or blindness.
A serious eye injury is not always immediately obvious. Delaying medical attention can cause the damaged areas to worsen and could result in permanent vision loss or blindness.
Because eye injuries can cause serious vision loss, it’s important to be able to recognize an injury and appropriately respond to it. DO NOT attempt to treat a serious eye injury yourself.
How to recognize an eye injury
If you notice any of these signs in yourself or someone else, get medical help right away.
- The person has obvious pain or trouble seeing.
- The person has a cut or torn eyelid.
- One eye does not move as well as the other.
- One eye sticks out compared to the other.
- The eye has an unusual pupil size or shape.
- There is blood in the clear part of the eye.
- The person has something in the eye or under the eyelid that can't be easily removed.
What to do for an eye injury
For all eye injuries:
- DO NOT touch, rub or apply pressure to the eye.
- DO NOT try to remove the object stuck in the eye.
- Do not apply ointment or medication to the eye.
- See a doctor as soon as possible, preferably an ophthalmologist.
If your eye has been cut or punctured:
- Gently place a shield over the eye. The bottom of a paper cup taped to the bones surrounding the eye can serve as a shield until you get medical attention.
- DO NOT rinse with water.
- DO NOT remove the object stuck in eye.
- DO NOT rub or apply pressure to eye.
- Avoid giving aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs thin the blood and may increase bleeding.
- After you have finished protecting the eye, see a physician immediately.
If you get a particle or foreign material in your eye:
- DO NOT rub the eye.
- Lift the upper eyelid over the lashes of your lower lid.
- Blink several times and allow tears to flush out the particle.
- If the particle remains, keep your eye closed and seek medical attention.
In case of a chemical burn to the eye:
- Immediately flush the eye with plenty of clean water
- Seek emergency medical treatment right away.
To treat a blow to the eye:
- Gently apply a small cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.
- DO NOT apply any pressure.
- If a black eye, pain or visual disturbance occurs even after a light blow, immediately contact your Eye M.D. or emergency room.
- Remember that even a light blow can cause a significant eye injury.
To treat sand or small debris in the eye:
- Use eyewash to flush the eye out.
- DO NOT rub the eye.
- If the debris doesn't come out, lightly bandage the eye and see an ophthalmologist or visit the nearest emergency room.
Protection in the Home
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma recommend that every household have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear to be worn when doing projects or activities that could create a risk for eye injuries at home.Choose protective eyewear with "ANSI Z87.1" marked on the lens or frame. This means the glasses, goggles or face shield meets the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1 safety standard. ANSI-approved protective eyewear can be easily purchased from most hardware stores nationwide.To determine if your activity merits eye protection, consider if it will involve:- Use of hazardous chemicals or other substances that could damage your eyes upon contact;
- Flying debris or other small particles. Note that both active participants and bystanders can be at risk from such activities;
- Projectiles or objects that could fly into the eyes unexpectedly.
Bottom line: use common sense and be EyeSmart, especially if there are children around for whom you're setting an example.Protection at Work
The eye protection needed to do your job safely is determined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To find out what standards apply, check with your company's human resources department, or whoever is charged with overseeing OSHA compliance.With the exception of welding, which requires additional eye and face protection, OSHA standards may often require the same ANSI-certified eye protection at work that you should use at home.Protection at Play
The eye protection needed to prevent eye injuries in your sport is determined by various standards set by ASTM. The eye-safety standards by sport are as follows:- ASTM F803: Eye protectors for selected sports (racket sports, women's lacrosse [see the U.S. Lacrosse website for more details], field hockey, baseball, basketball);
- ASTM F513: Eye and face protective equipment for hockey players;
- ASTM F1776: Eye protectors for use by players of paintball sports;
- ASTM F1587: Head and face protective equipment for ice hockey goaltenders;
- ASTM F910: Face guards for youth baseball; and
- ASTM F659: High-impact resistant eye protective devices for Alpine skiing.
Protective glasses or goggles with UV protection should be worn when snow or water skiing. They will help shield the eyes from sunburn and glare.Children’s Eye Injuries: Prevention and Care
When children participate in sports, recreation, crafts or home projects, it’s important for them to know eye safety practices and use protective glasses as appropriate. Each year thousands of children sustain eye damage or even blindness from accidents at home, at play or in the car. More than 90 percent of all eye injuries can be prevented through use of suitable protective eyewear.Sports deserve particular attention, because eye injuries occur fairly often in children and young adult athletes: between the ages of five and 14, most sports-related injuries in the U.S. occur while playing baseball. Learn more about eye injuries and prevention.Preventing Injuries
- Children should wear sports eye protectors made with polycarbonate lenses for baseball, basketball, football, racquet sports, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, paintball.
- All chemicals and sprays must be kept out of reach of small children.
- Parents and others who provide care and supervision for children need to practice safe use of common items that can cause serious eye injury, such as paper clips, pencils, scissors, bungee cords, wire coat hangers and rubber bands.
- Teach your children to be EyeSmart by safeguarding your own sight with ANSI-approved protective eyewear during potentially dangerous yard work and household repairs or projects.
- Only purchase age-appropriate toys.
- Avoid projectile toys such as darts, bows and arrows, and missile-firing toys.
- Look for toys marked with "ASTM", which means the product meets the national safety standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
- Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Pad or cushion sharp corners. Put locks on all cabinets and drawers that kids can reach.
- Do not allow your children to play with non-powder rifles, pellet guns or BB guns. They are extremely dangerous and have been reclassified as firearms and removed from toy departments.
- Do not allow children anywhere near fireworks, especially bottle rockets. These fireworks pose a serious risk of eye injury and have been banned in several states.
- When very small children (age 4 and younger) are bitten by dogs, eye injuries occur about 15 percent of the time. The dog is usually one the child is familiar with, and second attacks by the same dog are likely to cause more serious injury. It is recommended that any dog that bites a child be removed from the household.
- On the road, make sure children are properly secured in baby carriers and child safety seats and that the seat and shoulder belts fit well. Children age 12 and younger should never ride in the front seat. Store loose items in the trunk or secured on the floor, as any loose object can become a dangerous projectile in a crash.
First Aid
An ophthalmologist, primary care doctor, school nurse or children’s health service should examine the eye as soon as possible, even if the injury seems minor at first, as a serious injury is not always immediately obvious. Delaying medical attention can cause the damaged areas to worsen and could result in permanent vision loss or blindness.While seeking medical help, care for the child as follows:- DO NOT touch, rub or apply pressure to the eye.
- DO NOT try to remove any object stuck in the eye. For small debris, lift eye lid and ask child to blink rapidly to see if tears will flush out the particle. If not, close the eye and seek treatment.
- Do not apply ointment or medication to the eye.
- A cut or puncture wound should be gently covered.
- Only in the event of chemical exposure, flush with plenty of water.
Eye Injuries at Home
You might think that the family home is a fairly unthreatening setting. And responses to a recent public survey commissioned by the American Academy of Ophthalmology show that people generally agree.
Less than half of survey respondents mentioned the home — especially the yard or garage — as the most common site of serious eye injury.
Only 35 percent of those surveyed always wear protective eyewear when doing home repair or projects.However, medical statistics tell a different story: nearly half of all eye injuries each year occur in and around the home, and home-based injuries are increasing each year.This alarming trend is why the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma now recommend that every household have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear for use during projects and activities that may present risk of injury. (ANSI-approved protective eyewear is manufactured to meet the American National Standards Institute eye protection standard.)
Learn How to Recognize an Eye Injury
Learn how to recognize an eye injury and get appropriate care when you or a family member is injured at home.Safety Tips for Home Eye Hazards
Spring cleaning, home improvements and yard work: for many Americans, these projects define this time of year. But, did you know home projects like these can be a major threat to eye safety? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, nearly half of all serious eye injuries occur at home, yet only 35 percent of Americans wear protective eyewear during projects that could pose a threat to their eyes.Hazardous activities at home include:- Cleaning. Chemicals like bleach in household cleaning products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year.
- Home Improvement. Screws, nails and hand tools can become projectiles, while power tools can propel wood chips or other substances into the air.
- Yard Work. Lawn mowers, trimmers and even shovels can throw dirt and debris into the air, and branches, twigs and thorns can also be dangerous.
The good news is that protective eyewear reduces your risk for an eye injury by 90 percent. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that consumers keep protective eyewear on hand and wear it during activities that could pose a risk to eye safety (mp3 audio). If you or a family member experiences an eye injury, seek immediate medical attention or find an ophthalmologist near you.
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