Get Eye Smart -- Outdoors and Indoors
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The ability to see and experience the world around us is undoubtedly one of the most precious gifts nature has given to us. Unfortunately, unexpected situations brought up during sports, office work, home life could rob us of this priceless gift.
The good news is that our eyes can be protected against some common but potential dangers such as sports injuries, home appliances, caustic chemicals, extensive computer usage, cigarette smoke and other pollutants, firecrackers, and partial solar eclipses.
Here are tips to remind us of what we can do to reduce such incidences.
Games with the potential of contact come with inherent injury risks. So sports such as squash, badminton, handball and table tennis etc could result in eye injuries leading to damages of retina, cornea or eye socket.
Cases often come to medical centers with fractures of the eye socket, retinal detachments and scratched cornea that have been incurred during some sports. In some cases the injury is serious enough to lead to potential permanent loss of sight.
Fortunately, wearing protective eye wear during such sport activities could save us and our children from possible harm. Trusted brands using polycarbonate, clear or tinted lenses could be chosen for eye safety. Those who wear corrective glasses could opt for contact lenses during sport activities if they are educated in how to wear, handle and care for them. (1)
Home Safety - Appliances and Chemicals:
Though our homes are supposed to be safe havens for us, they hide some of the most potent objects that if handled carelessly could hurt our vision. Among them are detergents, bleaches, stain removers, aerosols, scissors, clothes hangers, knives, forks, garden shovels, and rakes.
PreventBlindnessAmerica.com reports that approximately 125,000 eye injuries occur involving household products (2). Use of gardening tools or those that involve the use of nails, sawing, axing and welding welding tools should be preceded by eye protection. Safety goggles which are certified by American National Standards Institute could be a good choice.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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