03/07/2025
JULY IS EYE INJURY PREVENTION MONTH:
When working in your home such as cleaning and using household chemicals, be sure to read labels and instructions thoroughly to ensure you are using the products properly, as well as always work in well-ventilated areas when using potentially hazardous chemicals. Furthermore, when using a household chemical that has a spray nozzle, always be sure to point the nozzle away from you, even if you are just carrying it around. The majority of these chemicals are incredibly hazardous and can even permanently destroy the surface of our eyes, which results in blindness.
When you are working in your garden and using a lawnmower or similar machinery, be sure to wear protective eyewear, as particles from grass and other plants could easily get into and damage your eyes.
Surprising Facts About Eye Injuries
The fifth-annual Eye Injury Snapshot conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma found that:
• Most people believe that eye injuries are most common on the job — especially in factories and on construction sites. But in fact, nearly half of all eye injuries occurred in the home.
• Home repairs, yard work, cleaning and cooking caused more than 40% of eye injuries. More than a third of those injuries in the home happened in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room or family room.
• More than 40% of eye injuries every year are related to sports or recreational activities.
• More than 78% of people were not wearing eyewear at the time of injury. Only about 5% of those those who were wearing eyewear (including glasses or contact lenses), were wearing safety or sports glasses.
Sun can damage eyes just like objects, chemicals and dust. Always wear sunglasses or sport-appropriate UV-protective goggles, such as ski goggles, when outdoors.
Protests, riots and urban warfare are increasingly leading to vision-threatening eye injuries around the world.
Take All Eye Injuries Seriously
You can't always tell when an eye is injured. Some injuries are only obvious when they get really serious.
Eye injuries can cause vision loss or blindness. That's why having an ophthalmologist or other medical doctor examine the eye as soon as possible is important, even if the injury seems minor at first. DO NOT attempt to treat a serious eye injury yourself.
Common causes of eye injuries include:
• Punches
• Blows from hands, balls or other sports equipment
• Flying pieces of material from explosions or industrial work
• Flying objects like bullets, darts, fireworks, bungee cords, and BBs
• Chemical splashes
• Protests, riots or urban warfare
Common Symptoms of Eye Injury
If you notice any of these signs in yourself or someone else, get medical help right away. These are signs of possibly serious eye injury:
• Ongoing pain in the eye
• Trouble seeing
• Cut or torn eyelid
• One eye does not move as well as the other
• One eye sticks out of the eye socket farther than 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 tears and blinking can't remove