Eye Injury Prevention Tips

Whether you’re at work, at home or outdoors, eye injury can happen anywhere and it’s quite common. Eye injury includes any physical or chemical damage caused to the eye or eyeball such as a blow to the eye, scratches from fingernails or similar sharp items, and foreign bodies entering the eye etc. It’s astonishing that around 55 million people suffer from eye injuries each year as per the World Health Organization (WHO). This is why, it’s imperative that eyes are taken good care of regardless of where you are.

• What are the common places and causes of eye injuries?
• What are some useful tips to prevent eye injuries?
• What immediate steps should be taken after an eye injury?

What are the common places and causes of eye injuries?

Whether you’re taking a stroll in the park or relaxing on your sofa, eye injuries can happen anywhere to anyone.

When at home

• Cooking is a common household chore and can be dangerous if not done carefully. For example, hot oil splatters or touching your eyes after handling peppered salad with your hands can cause burning.
• Cleaning is another task that requires caution, for it involves harmful chemicals which can cause severe eye injury, often leading to blindness.
• Gardening tasks, such as mowing the lawn can be risky for eyes. Stray items such as rocks, sticks, or leaves can fly from under the lawnmower and hit the eyes.
• DIY jobs around the house can lead to fragments or objects hitting your eye.

When at work

People employed in construction, manufacturing, healthcare and automobile industries have the highest risk of sustaining eye injuries.

• Construction tops the list for eye injuries. Several dangerous tools at a construction site could be harmful for eyes. Moreover, metal fillings, sawdust, cement and other remnants in the air can be a peril to eyes too.
• Manufacturing is not any different in terms of causing eye hazards. Careless use of heavy machinery and tools often end up damaging the eyes of workers.
• Automobile industry is not far behind pertaining to eye injuries. If mechanics expose themselves to welding torches and sparks from saw blades without wearing any eye protection, they are at risk of causing damage to their eyes.
• Healthcare workers are more likely to have their eyes infected by virus and bacteria from blood splatters, body fluids, and other contaminated material they encounter on a daily basis.
• Professionals who spend long hours on a computer are exposed to blue light. Whilst blue light does not cause eye injury, it can result in digital eye strain.

While playing sports

More than 600,000 eye injuries that are reported every year are incurred during sports and they are mostly inflicted on the eye socket or eyeball. Unfortunately, many out of them cause irrevocable visual loss.

• Ground sports such as basketball, football, baseball, rugby, tennis and cricket are some prominent sports wherein players can encounter ocular injuries if proper caution is not exercised, such as wearing helmets and other protective gear.
• Swimmers can experience eye irritation or infection if they don’t wear swimming goggles, as their eyes can come into contact with chlorine or debris. Infections from contaminated water can lead to conjunctivitis.

When outdoors

Enjoying the sun without putting on sunglasses can harm your eyes. Furthermore, other elements, such as dust particles and pollen can enter your eyes, causing eye irritation and redness.

What are some useful tips to prevent eye injuries?

As prevention is always better than cure, it’s crucial to be mindful of certain tips to avoid eye injuries.

1. Always carry sunglasses for eye protection

   It’s always a great idea to have your sunglasses handy not only to protect your eyes from damage from harmful sunrays but also to look more fashionable. We offer an extensive range of 100% UVA/B protected designer sunglasses at budget-friendly prices.

   The Ray-Ban RB2132 New Wayfarer Black Blue is a popular pair of sunglasses from Ray-Ban that is a must-have.

2. Blue light glasses for excessive screen time

   Being exposed to digital screens can result in dry, irritated and tired eyes. It’s advisable to reduce your screen time. The 20-20-20 rule will help you relax your eyes and mitigate eye strain. You can also buy blue light glasses that are said to help with digital eye strain.

   The EARTH Dana Transparent Grey is a unisex pair of blue light glasses that are a perfect choice for an everyday wear.

3. Adequate sports eyewear

   It’s always in the best interest of sports players to have proper eye protection equipment, such as a helmet with face shield. Wearing wrap sunglasses is an ideal choice for sports such as cycling, cricket and tennis, to name a few.

   Swimmers must wear swimming goggles to protect their eyes from chlorine water which might cause eye infection. Contact lenses should not be worn whilst swimming.

   O’Neill ONS Barrel 122P Matte Tortoise Polarised is a trendy pair of wrap sunglasses you can opt for while cycling, playing tennis, or playing a game of golf.

4. Protective eyewear for heavy field work

   Chemical burns, blunt trauma, corneal abrasions, allergic conjunctivitis, and eye injuries from flying debris and foreign bodies are quite common at work sites of heavy industries. Therefore, it’s essential for workers employed in hazardous industries to safeguard their eyes with protective eyewear to avoid injury.

What immediate steps should be taken after an eye injury?

Steps to take after incurring an eye injury will depend on the type of injury and the severity. If in doubt, seek advice from a doctor or healthcare professional.

If you experience red, irritated or dry eyes, it’s strongly recommended to wash your eyes thoroughly and apply eye drops, such as the Clinitas Soothe Multi eye drops. These drops can be used with or without contact lenses in.

At Feel Good Contacts you can browse through a range of eye drops. Please ensure to consult an optician before opting for any eye drops.

Explore our Eye Care Hub for more eye care related information.