By Duane Wiggins, M.D.
Board Certified Ophthalmologist, Cataract & Refractive Surgeon with Quigley Eye Specialists
Almost all eye injuries could have been prevented if the individual wore protective eye wear. How many times have you worked on a project at home or at work that you knew could potentially harm your eyes and you didn’t wear safety goggles or glasses?
When things get stuck or poke you in the eye, more often than not, wearing protective eye wear could have prevented the injury.
Eye injuries often occur from trimming hedges, carpentry, crafting, yard work, crazy gluing an item, bleach or chemical splatter, and cooking oils to name a few.
Additionally, sports outdoor activities, and falling contribute to a majority of eye injuries. When you’re at home, preventing falls is critical, but they normally take one by surprise, so falling and hitting your eye on the corner of the end table may not be something you know will happen in advance. However, keeping area rugs and cords out of the way can help to prevent such issues from happening. If you are someone that has balance issues, using a walker or cane can help immensely.
Sports and outdoor activities may also result in unexpected eye injuries. Getting hit in the eye with a ball is common or getting jabbed in the eye by an elbow or fist is unfortunately also widespread when it comes to sports.
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 who were wearing eyewear (including glasses or contact lenses), were wearing safety or sports glasses.
Protecting Your Eyes Prevents Injury
Whether you’re exercising, playing sports, doing home maintenance, or suffer from balance issues, wearing protective eyewear can present numerous eye injuries and save your vision.
Quigley Eye Specialists, founded in 1988, consists of more than 100 medical professionals, including surgeons, optometrists, retina specialists and technicians. Offices are conveniently located throughout Southwest Florida in Sarasota, Venice, North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs, Naples and Coral Gables.
For more information, call (239) 466-2020 or visit www.QuigleyEye.com.
Source:
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/preventing-injuries