Eye Injury Prevention

Your Eyesight Matters to Us!

July has been designated as Eye Injury Prevention Month!  In honor of this observance and as proof of our ongoing commitment to improving the lives of the members of our community, the medical staff of Prestige ER has compiled a simple list of eye safety tips to help you safeguard your eyesight.

Eye Injury Facts

Get the facts about why eye injury prevention is important.  According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology:

• Men are more prone to sustain eye injuries than women.
• 7% of eye injuries occur in the home.
• More than 40% of yearly eye injuries are related to sports or recreational activities.
• Every day some 2000 workers in the US sustain a job-related eye injury that requires medical attention.
• Eyes can be damaged by sun exposure.
• It is estimated that 2.4 million eye injuries occur in the US every year.
• The most common eye injury is caused by a foreign body in the eye.
• 90% of eye injuries can be prevented with the use of protective eyewear.

Preventing Eye Injuries

Eye Injuries at Home

Most of us think of our homes as our safe haven, however, medical statistics reveal that nearly half of all eye injuries occur in or around the home. Luckily, the vast majority can be avoided by following these eye injury prevention safety tips:

• Make sure to have at least one pair of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved protected eyewear to use while doing projects around the home or while working in the garden.
• Wear chemical safety goggles when using hazardous solvents or detergents such as oven cleaners and bleach.
• Keep a safe distance from the stove when cookie foods that may splatter hot grease or oil.
• Lean away when you open the door of a hot oven to allow air to flow before you get too close, as the heat may damage your eyes.
• Use safety goggles when drilling, or hammering into a wall or hard surface, dust, debris, and even nails or screws can fly away and cause injuries.
• Loose rugs or railings, as well as poor lit staircases, increase the probabilities of slips and falls which are a leading cause of eye injuries in the home.
• Inspect and remove any debris from the lawn before mowing it.
• Keep your tools in good condition, damaged gardening or power tools should be repaired or replaced.
• Do not mix cleaning agents as these may cause toxic or irritating fumes.
• If you have small children in the house, pad or cushion sharp corners and edges of furnishings and home fixtures.
• Avoid toys with sharp or rigid points, spikes or those that have dangerous edges.

Sports-Related Eye Injuries

Participating in sports and recreational activities are vital for a healthy lifestyle for adults and children, unfortunately, accidents do occur, in fact, eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in the US. Sadly, most of those injuries could have been prevented with the use of protective eyewear.  Important eye injury prevention tips for sports and outdoor physical activities:

• Wear safety goggles specific to the sport you are practicing. It is important to only choose protective sports eyewear that is labeled as ASTM F803 approved, as these have been tested to ensure maximum protection.
• Use helmets with polycarbonate face shields when playing baseball, hockey, lacrosse.
• Use sunglasses when performing physical activity outdoors.

Preventing Eye Injuries at Work

There are risks associated with the type of work we are in, manufacturing, construction, and jobs that involve the use of chemicals have the highest eye injury risks, however, even office work carries its own set of risks. To avoid eye injuries in the workplace, we recommend:

• Use proper protection, whether its safety goggles, face shields, or full-face respirators.
• Eliminate hazards before you start working. Use machine guards, work screens, and other engineering controls.
• Know the dangers, beware of all the potential risk factors of your job that could cause eye injuries, such as the use of nail guns, chemicals, and detergents, sun exposure, or computer glare.

What Should You Do If an Eye Injury Occurs?

If you or anyone you know displays any of these signs, come to Prestige ER for immediate treatment:

• Pain in the eye.
• Trouble seeing.
• Cut or torn eyelid.
• One eye does not move as well as the other.
• One eye protrudes more than the other.
• Unusual pupil size or shape.
• There is blood in the clear part of the eye.
• A foreign object has entered the eye and it cannot be easily removed.

If you have sustained an eye injury, do not rub, or apply pressure to the eye, if the injury involves a laceration gently place a shield over the eye, do not rinse with water or apply any medication to the cut. In the case of a chemical burn to the eye, flush it with plenty of clean water and have someone drive you over to our emergency room for immediate medical treatment.

Time to Visit the ER

Follow these helpful tips to help prevent eye injuries for yourself and your loved ones.  However, should you ever have an eye injury, please remember that the Prestige ER medical staff is available to help you through a speedy recovery.

At Prestige ER, we are available 24/7 because an accident can happen anytime. Do not risk loosing your eyesight, visit us immediately at either of our two locations.
We provide the Best 24 HR. Emergency Medical Services in Plano and Mesquite, TX. Don’t wait in line for ER care!
Get back on track to enjoying life, FAST! Experienced, Effective, and Caring Emergency Physicians team up with the best On-Site ER care for everything from Minor to Major Injuries and Conditions.

• CT Scan, Digital X-Ray & Ultrasound
• Certified Full-Service Diagnostic Laboratory
• Extended Stay Capacity

Prestige ER Cares About YOU!