23
Oct 2013
Tips for Preventing Eye Injuries
October has been designated as National Eye Injury Prevention Month, but Spektacles Optometry is committed to our patients’ eye health all year long so we wanted to share some easy ways you can prevent common eye injuries.
Each year, more than 1 million Americans sustain eye injuries. The sad fact is that nearly 90% of common eye injuries are preventable, but this requires taking proper precautions and care to ensure eye health.
Eye injuries can happen at any time, but the most common usually occur around the home when individuals are doing what they believe to be routine tasks. On the job eye injuries are less common because corporations and businesses are more likely to follow strict guidelines about requiring their employees to wear eye safety gear.
Average Americans might not think about the possibility of eye injuries because they don’t realize how easily they can happen.
Preventing Eye Injuries at Home:
Household cleaning products are one culprit for causing eye damage. Take proper care when using harsh chemicals around the home. Read all labels and follow instructions to minimize risk. When using any type of chemical or solvents, work in areas that have been ventilated appropriately.
Preventing Eye Injuries in the Workshop:
Depending on what tasks you are completing, consider any and all possibilities for eye injury.
Tools can malfunction as well as emit fragments, fumes, dust particles and sparks that can seriously damage the eye. Even a quick task should be performed with adequate eye safety gear.
There’s also the issue of ultraviolet light and infrared radiation that can result from the use of certain tools. Even hobby woodcrafters, welders or others craftsmen should take eye safety serious.
Preventing Eye Injuries in the Garden:
Lawn care and garden maintenance might not seem like something that requires eye safety gear, but it does. Lawn mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers can cause small particles, rocks and other organic matters to fly through the air with a great deal of force. Eye safety gear is necessary for individuals who use these tools as well as bystanders who might be working nearby.
Prevent Eye Injuries in the Workplace:
This might sound simple, but the main way to protect your eyes at work is by wearing appropriate safety eyewear for your job. Many times, eye injuries that occur in the workplace could be easily prevented with appropriate safety gear.
If you learned anything from this post, we hope it is about prevention. If you have sustained an eye injury, seek appropriate medical attention immediately.
If you are experiencing issues with your eyes or vision, one of our expert eye professionals is happy to help.
You can visit us online at https://www.spektaclessandiego.com to learn more about issues that affect eye health or give us a call at 760-452-2895 to schedule an eye exam.