The good news is that up to 90% of eye injuries are preventable if we take simple precautionary measures like wearing protective gear when working with chemicals or power tools and minimizing the unnecessary hazards around the home.
An accident can transform the most innocent of objects can turn into a serious eye hazard — everything from the corners of furniture to pens and pencils. Something as simple as getting too close to a skillet with hot oil can put our eyes in danger. However, the most hazardous household items for the unwary eye are toys with small pieces and cleaning chemicals.
Outside in the yard, we should be wary of additional hazards like certain gardening and work tools and the debris flying out of the lawnmower. Chemicals like fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides that we use to keep our lawns looking nice can also be dangerous. How can we protect our eyes from all of this?
Another component to minimizing the risk of injury is planning ahead so that you’re ready if an accident or emergency happens. The most common eye injury type is when a foreign object or substance gets in the eye or when a foreign body penetrates the eye. For the latter, seek immediate medical attention and don’t try to touch the eye or remove the object. Use a rigid shield (such as a paper cup taped in place) to protect it on the way to the emergency room.
If someone gets a foreign object in their eye, a hospital trip might still be a good idea, and you should still avoid touching the eye because it might be worse than it looks. In some cases, foreign objects can be flushed out with water. If a chemical splashes in the eye, flush it with water for 20 minutes to wash as much of it out as possible and minimize harmful effects.
If you’d like more safety advice for your home or your workplace or if you’d like to share your eye injury emergency plan with us to make sure it’s a good one, we’re here to help! These safety measures are particularly important for households with young children or people whose mobility is limited.
Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.