11 Common Eye Injuries – And How to Avoid Them
At the risk of stating the obvious, you only get one pair of eyes. So, injuring your eyes comes with serious consequences. What might cause a simple scratch or bruise elsewhere on your body could result in permanent loss of vision in your eyes. That’s why it’s so important to protect your eyes—even at home.
Eye Injuries By the Numbers
Did you know that nearly 50 percent of all eye injuries happen in and around the house? It’s true. Many people assume that activities at home are generally safe when it comes to the risk of eye injury. But the numbers tell a different story.
Eye injuries at home are on the rise, too. Accidents involving common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year! Yet still only 35 percent of people surveyed wear the proper protective eyewear when doing home repair or other projects. The fact is 90 percent of eye injuries can be prevented by a pair of protective eyewear that is ANSI-approved (American National Standards Institute).
Common Eye Injury Risks at Home
The following is a list of activities that most frequently lead to eye injuries around the house. You should always wear proper eye protection when performing these tasks.
1. Using chemicals like oven cleaner or bleach for cleaning
2. Cooking foods that can splatter hot grease or oil
3. Opening champagne bottles
4. Drilling or hammering screws or nails into walls or hard surfaces
5. Using hot objects like curling irons around the face
6. Loose rugs and railings or other hazards that cause slips and falls
7. Mowing the lawn or using an edger
8. Clipping hedges and bushes
9. Using power tools and hand tools
10. Any task that can produce fragments, dust particles or other eye irritants
11. Using bungee cords to secure equipment or loads
It’s not just your own eyes that are at risk. For all of these activities, anyone in the near vicinity faces a real risk of injury and should take precautions against damaging their eyes, as well. This is especially important when it comes to children. Kids who like to watch or help with household chores should always wear eye protection or leave the area where the chore is being done.
What To Do in the Event of an Eye Injury
Accidents happen, of course, and when they do, you’re not always wearing protection. When an eye injury does occur it’s important to have your eye(s) checked out by an eye specialist or other doctor as soon as possible. You can’t always tell if an eye injury is serious or not. Waiting to get medical attention could allow the injury to get worse, and even result in blindness. Never attempt to treat a serious eye injury yourself.
A few important things to remember when eye injuries occur:
- Never touch, rub or apply pressure to your eye.
- Never attempt to remove an object stuck in your eye.
- Don’t apply ointment or medication to your eye.
- See a doctor as soon as possible, preferably an optometrist or an ophthalmologist.
Your eyes are your window onto the world. It’s a good idea to keep them clear, bright, and healthy! Eye injuries are no fun, and they can happen when you least expect it—even in the comfort of your own home. At VCC, some of the most common injuries we see are injuries to the eye. We don’t like them any more than you do! If you do have an eye injury or have any questions about eye safety or eye health, the friendly staff at VCC’s Optometry Health Services is here to help.
Call now to schedule an appointment!
(844) 308-5003
The medical information contained on this article is general in nature and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for the advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by your own physician or a qualified healthcare provider. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with your own physician or a qualified healthcare provider. Although every effort is made to ensure the information provided is accurate and timely, it is provided for convenience and should not be considered official.