General Advice On Eye Care

How can we prevent eye damage?

Knowing what to do for an eye emergency can save valuable time and possibly prevent vision loss. Here are some instructions for basic eye injury first aid.

Be Prepared

  • Wear eye protection for all hazardous activities and sports at school, home and on the job that could lead to an eye injury.
  • Do stock a first aid kit with a rigid eye shield and commercial eyewash (make sure it is not expired) before engaging in activities where an eye injury could occur.
  • Do not assume that any eye injury is harmless. When in doubt, see an eye doctor promptly.

Chemical Burns

In all cases of eye contact with chemicals

  • Immediately flush the eye with water or any other drinkable liquid. Hold the eye under a faucet, shower or pour water into the eye using a clean container. Keep the eye open as wide as possible during flushing. Continue flushing for at least 15 minutes.
  • If a contact lens is in the eye, begin flushing over the lens immediately. Flushing may dislodge the lens.
  • Do not bandage the eye.
  • Seek emergency medical care promptly after flushing.

Specks in the Eye

Do not rub the eye.

  • Try to let tears wash the speck out or use a commercial eyewash.
  • Try lifting upper eyelid outward. Look down over the lower lid.
  • Do not use tweezers or other items to try and remove the speck.
  • If the speck doesn’t wash out, see an eye doctor immediately.

Blows to the Eye

  • Apply cold compress without pressure.
  • Seek emergency medical care in cases of pain, blurry vision, one eye sticks out more than the other, blood inside the eye, or discoloration (black eye), which could mean internal eye damage.

Cuts and Punctures of Eye and Eyelid

  • Do not wash out eye with water or any other liquid.
  • Do not try to remove an object that is stuck in the eye.
  • Cover the eye with a rigid shield or the bottom half of a paper cup without pressure. Secure the shield or cup to the brow above the eye and the cheekbone below the eye without putting pressure on the eye.
  • Seek emergency medical care immediately.

 

What are the signs and symptoms of an eye injury?

It’s not always easy to identify an eye injury — especially in a child. Seek medical care immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms:

  • Obvious pain, trouble opening the eye or trouble seeing
  • A cut or torn eyelid
  • One eye not moving as well as the other eye
  • One eye sticking out farther or seeming more prominent than the other
  • An unusual pupil size or shape
  • Blood in the white part of the eye
  • An object on the eye or under the eyelid that can’t easily be removed

 

Protective Eyewear

You may be somewhat aware of your possible risks for an eye injury, but are you taking the easiest step of all to prevent 90% of those injuries? Wearing the proper protective eyewear greatly reduces your risk of an eye injury and vision loss.

If you are not taking this step, you are not alone. According to a national survey by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, only 35 percent of respondents said they always wear protective eyewear when performing home repairs or maintenance. Even fewer do so while playing sports.

How to Care for an Eye Injury

If you have an eye injury, review these care and treatment recommendations. Most importantly, see an ophthalmologist or other medical doctor as soon as possible, even if the injury seems minor.

 

Comprehensive eye exams pick up vision problems early.

Getting a regular eye exam is the only way to catch a variety of problems, such as glaucoma or diabetic eye disease, ensuring you’ll get timely treatment. Most people with vision problems should see their eye doctor once a year to make sure their sight hasn’t changed.

For the rest of us, the AAO recomends the following eye exam schedule:

  • At 40: a baseline eye exam
  • From 40 to 55: an eye exam every 2 to 4 years
  • Ages 55 to 64: an eye exam every 1 to 3 years
  • At 65 and up: an eye exam every year

During the exam, your doctor will take your family history and check your pupils, central vision, color vision, and eye pressure. He or she will also dilate, or widen, your pupil using special eye drops to see the back of your eye and check for any damage.

Smoking now can cause eye problems later. “Get off tobacco in any form. When you smoke, cyanide from the smoke gets into your bloodstream and can destroy the eye’s cells. Smoking puts you at higher risk of developing cataracts and increases problems with dry eyes. It also raises your risk of macular degeneration, an incurable condition that destroys vision in the center of the eye, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

You can help preserve your eyesight by protecting your eyes from the sun. We recommends two safeguards for your eyes: sunscreen and sunglasses. The skin around your eyes is some of the thinnest on the body and is susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Various kinds of skin cancer, like carcinoma and melanoma, can form in the eyelids and around the eyes, causing major damage to the eye structure.

Sunglasses are also a must. But don’t be fooled into thinking the darker, the better. “It’s the sticker you peel off of the glasses when you buy them” that matters. Sunglasses should have complete, 100 percent protection from UVA and UVB (long and short wave) rays. Ultraviolet radiation stimulates the issues that cause both cataracts and macular degeneration — common causes of blindness.

 

Eye safety at home

You can protect your eyes from injury at home by following these tips:

  • Make sure the edges of furnishing and home fixtures have no sharp edges.
  • Install lights and handrails to improve safety on stairs.
  • Be careful when opening bottles for wine or carbonated drinks.
  • Wear chemical safety goggles when using hazardous solvents and detergents. Don’t mix cleaning agents.
  • Turn nozzles away from your face before spraying.
  • Wash your hands after using household chemicals.
  • Use guards on all power equipment.
  • Wear protective eye gear while using a lawnmower or weed trimmer, because debris may fly through the air.

Eye safety outdoors and at play.  Follow these tips to help keep your eyes safe:

  • Wear sunglasses that protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays when you are outside. Wear them even on cloudy days.
  • Never look directly at the sun, including during an eclipse.
  • Read and follow directions before playing games or using equipment.
  • Wear safety goggles or glasses during sports and leisure activities.
  • Wear a helmet with a polycarbonate face mask or wire shield during high-impact sports.
  • Wear safety goggles while using a device that shoots pellets, arrows, paint balls, or other projectiles.
  • Wear safety goggles when handling fireworks.