Like many other injuries, a majority of eye injuries could be avoided with the right prevention. A recent study revealed that nearly 50% of the 2.5 million eye injuries in the US every year occur at home. Nine out of ten of these home eye injuries could have been prevented simply by wearing protective eyewear.
With the data showing just how many eye injuries are avoidable, ophthalmologists and national agencies like the American Academy of Ophthalmology want Americans to better understand how we can prevent eye injuries during Home Eye Safety Month this October.
As we all consider how to avoid fewer trips seeking emergency care following an eye injury, sometimes the remedy is simple. Understanding the hazards of everyday tasks and being proactive about guarding our eyes will go a long way to lowering the number.
When you think about cleaning your house, the last thing you probably consider is protecting your eyes. However, the chemicals that many of us use—such as bleach—cause hundreds of thousands of eye injuries every year.
Most homeowners assume their cleaning will not cause an injury and most of the time it does not, but it just takes one time. Let’s not just use this as an opportunity to avoid cleaning—using the excuse that it’s just too dangerous.
Instead, the solution is simple…keeping a pair of protective eyewear with your cleaning supplies will serve as a reminder to protect your eyes while cleaning.
Eye injuries occur just as often outside the house as they do indoors. From home improvement projects to everyday ordinary yard work—there are many opportunities for our eyes to become a victim.
Any tools that have a sharp edge or that might blow debris into the air are an immediate reason for wearing eye protection. Again, keeping an inexpensive pair of heavy-duty goggles at the workspace or next to your lawn equipment to trigger the habit of putting them on each time you do some work is enough to stop the majority of eye injuries.
For more on how to best protect and care for your eyes, contact us at Palmetto Eye & Laser Center by calling 864-583-6381 or by simply sending a message online today!
