What you need to know about eye injury prevention

  • Published
  • By Rod Krause
  • 5th Bomb Wing Ground Safety
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  When most people go out to mow the lawn, jump-start the car or perform other ordinary household activities, the last thing they think about is their eyes, but it should be one of the first.

Approximately 1 million eye injuries occur each year in the United States. According to the U.S. Eye Injury Registry, 43 percent of eye injuries occur at home, however 90 percent of these injuries could have been prevented if precautions were taken.
In honor of National Prevention of Eye Injuries Week this month, your eye doctor (ophthalmologist) urges you to consider the following tips to help protect your eyes:

· Always keep a pair of goggles in the trunk of your car in case you need to jump-start a vehicle. Battery acid, sparks and debris flying from damaged or improperly jump-started auto batteries can severely damage your eyes.

· Many household chemicals, such as cleaning fluids, detergents and ammonia, are extremely hazardous and can burn your eyes. Always read instructions and labels carefully, work in a well-ventilated area and make sure spray nozzles point away from you before spraying. Wear safety goggles and wash your hands thoroughly when you are finished.

· Check for yard debris and put on safety goggles before using a lawnmower, power trimmer or edger. Rocks, stones and twigs can become dangerous projectiles if they shoot from the blades.

· In the workshop or garage, consider the work you will be doing and wear safety goggles to shield your eyes from flying fragments, fumes, dust particles, sparks and splashing chemicals. Many objects can fly into your eyes unexpectedly and cause an injury.

· In the industrial workplace, wear appropriate safety eyewear (with a "Z87" mark on the lens or frame) for your occupation. Work site injuries often involve automobile repair-related workers and construction-related workers, such as welders, plumbers, construction laborers, machine operators and carpenters. 100,000 workers each year are disabled because of vision loss due to injury. Many of the thousands injured each day didn't think they needed eye protection or wore eyewear inappropriate for the job. Check with your employer or doctor to learn about the safety eyewear appropriate for your occupation.

· Always wear appropriate sport-specific protective eyewear when participating in high-risk sports, such as baseball, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, football, soccer, paintball and racquet sports. All protective eyewear should be fitted by an eye care professional and have lenses made of polycarbonate, a material that is ten times more impact-resistant than other plastics and can withstand the force of a .22 caliber bullet. Check with your doctor regarding polycarbonate lenses and protective eyewear for your sport.

· Wear aquatic goggles when you swim. Ponds and lakes can harbor acanthamoeba, a protozoan that can get underneath a contact lens and cause inflammation of the cornea. Chlorine in swimming pools can make your eyes red and puffy.

· Wear sunglasses with UV protection when outdoors. Make sure the label states that the lenses block 99 or 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays. Always wear special goggles provided by tanning salons if you choose to use a tanning bed. Be sure to use appropriate safety eyewear when welding to protect your eyes from UV radiation.

· If you get an eye injury, seek medical help immediately.

· Injuries such as cuts, chemical burns or foreign bodies stuck in the eye are emergencies. Don't try to medically treat yourself, contact your doctor or visit the emergency room for help immediately.

· Even a seemingly light blow can cause a serious eye injury. If a serious black eye, pain or visual problem occurs after a blow, you may want to contact your eye doctor or emergency department immediately.

· In case of a chemical burn to the eye, flush the eye with clean water and seek emergency medical treatment immediately.