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Volume 3, Issue 6                                      September 2011

Your Health in Focus: Home Eye Safety Month 

About 2.5 million eye injuries occur every year in America¹. Most of us are on our guard in the workplace - especially if we work with metal, wood or other materials that require safety eyewear - but it may surprise you to know that almost half of these injuries occur in our own homes¹. 

Keep Your Home Eye-Safe 

Cleaning, cooking, home repairs and yard work can all lead to eye injuries, even when the activity seems harmless. The majority of injuries happen in the yard or garden. At Wilkinson Eye Center we see numerous patients each year who've had a branch snap back into their eyes, a twig or rock fly up from a lawnmower, or a wood chip fall from trimming branches - just to name a few. Other common injuries involve hot oil or grease splashes from cooking, slips and falls on rugs, shower mats, loose railings or cords,

image from www.geteyesmart.org

chemical burns from household cleaning supplies, power tool mishaps, sharp corners on counters and furniture, and "home repair projectiles" like nails, screws, and bits of tile or cement². 

Look around your home and secure, lock up or discard items that pose a safety hazard. Here are a few things you can do:

• Wear protective eyewear! This is especially important when working in the yard, using power tools or chemicals, or making household repairs.
• Read labels on chemicals and follow safety regulations. Point nozzles away from you and other people. 
• When mowing or using other power yard tools, remove any debris that could be thrown (rocks, twigs etc.).
• Secure railings.
• Cushion sharp corners. 
• Make rugs and shower mats slip-proof.
• Secure loose cords.
• Use grease shields when cooking with hot oil or grease.

Protect Your Baby's Baby Blues

Children under 12 years old account for about 20% of all home-incurred eye injuries - a number that has risen in recent years³. Many injuries occur from the "usual suspects" - tools, sharp corners, scissors, chemicals and the like. Something we may not think about however, is our kids' toys. There are some great toys out there to help stimulate visual progression and hand-eye coordination in tots; we certainly encourage these. Some toys require more caution, though⁴:

• Make sure long handles (like hobby horses) have no sharp edges
• Building blocks should have blunted sides
• Avoid shooters/projectile toys, like arrows and guns
• Use goggles with things like chemistry sets, woodworking, etc.
• Use kid-fitted sunglasses for playing in the sand, or anywhere kids could get dirt & debris in the eyes.  
• Most importantly: SUPERVISE!

• Keep kids away from tools, scissors, utensils and the like.
• Cushion sharp corners on counters and furniture.
• Keep chemicals out of reach or locked away.
• And again: SUPERVISE! 

The American Academy of Ophthalmology directs you to get medical help immediately if you notice any of the following in yourself or someone else⁵:

• The person has obvious pain or trouble seeing.
• The person has a cut or torn eyelid.
• One eye does not move as well as the other.
• One eye sticks out compared to the other.
• The eye has an unusual pupil size or shape.
• There is blood in the clear part of the eye.
• The person has something in the eye or under the eyelid that can't be easily removed.

Be Safe

Accidents are unfortunate and sometimes tragic, but many are avoidable - especially if you take the steps to protect yourself. If you follow the advice above from your eye doctor, you've taken the biggest step to protecting your - and your family's - precious sight! 

*ANSI-approved protective eyewear can be bought at your hardware store, and is identified by the marking "Z87".

¹American Academy of Ophthalmology: http://www.aao.org/.

²Envision Foundation. Home Eye Safety Month. Retrieved September 20, 2011 from the Envision Foundation website: http://www.envisionus.com/. 

⁴Associates in Eyecare. (September 2011)  Be Aware of Home Eye Safety This Month. Retrieved September 20, 2011 from the Associates in Eyecare website: http://aie-eyecare.com/.

⁵EyeSmart (American Academy of Ophthalmology). Recognizing Eye Injuries. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from the EyeSmart website: http://www.geteyesmart.org/.

Other resources:

http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/living/eye-injuries-home.cfm