Avoid Work Place Eye Injuries

During October’s Eye Injury Prevention Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Eye M.D.s around the country encourage everyone to protect their eyes from accidental injury.

• Accidental eye injury is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in the United States.
• Approximately one million eye injuries occur each year in the United States.
• Ninety percent of these injuries are preventable.
• The leading causes of eye injuries include sports accidents, consumer fireworks, household chemicals and battery acid, as well as workshop and yard debris.

Learn to protect yourself from serious eye injuries by taking a few simple precautions.

• Wear safety goggles (with "ANSI Z87.1" marked on the lenses or frame) when working in the workshop or yard, jump-starting your car or working with cleaning or other chemicals.
• Always wear appropriate protective eyewear during sports and recreational activities. Your Eye M.D. can recommend eye protection that fits your sport.
• Fireworks can cause devastating injuries to users and bystanders. Never use fireworks at home - attend only professional fireworks displays.

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 treat these yourself -- contact your Eye M.D. or emergency room for help immediately.
• Even a seemingly light blow can cause a serious eye injury. If a black eye, pain or visual problem occurs after a blow, contact your Eye M.D. 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.

Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology, http://www.aao.org/aaoesite/eyemd/injury.cfm