Our eyes are one of the most sensitive organs in our body and are highly vulnerable to irritation, scratches and dreadful injuries. Therefore, our eyes need extra care to maintain a good vision.
Fortunately, there are several different ways how you can keep your eyes safe from injuries. Here, we have presented a short checklist for ensuring the safety of your eyes.
- Identifying risk hazards
The first and foremost step to keeping your eyes safe is identifying the risk hazards. We are all surrounded by risk factors for eye injuries such as sprays, projectiles, and sharp/pointed edges.
If you are working in a room or a workshop, you need to identify and evaluate the risk factors. This way, you can prepare and assess eye safety accordingly.
Some of the most common types of risk hazards in a workplace include Chemicals, Flying Debris, Biohazards, Radiations, and other irritants. It is also important to identify other additional hazards posed by tools and machinery.
- Take safety precautions while working (create a safe workplace)
It is important to wear safety gears such as helmet and protective eyewear while working in a workshop. You stand at an increased risk of eye injuries such as scratches, irritation, and corneal abrasion while in a workshop. So, apart from wearing protective wear, you should also minimize the risk factors by creating a safer workplace.
For instance, if the machinery in the workshop poses eye injury threat with flying debris and projectile, then assess these factors and minimize them. If this is not possible, put a warning sign so that visitors can take safety steps prior to entering the risk zone.
- Be cautious with spectacles and contact lenses (don’t use beyond recommended use date)
Spectacles and contact lenses come as a great help in correcting visual acuity but did you know that they pose risk for eye injury as well? The eyes are most vulnerable to injuries caused by spectacles while playing sports, during falls, or engaging in any physical activity. So, make sure that you don’t wear spectacles while pursuing any physical or outdoor activity. This is in special regard with the kids as they are often reckless while playing.
Similarly, contact lenses are a great alternative to spectacles but are just as risky to the eyes. There are instances where people forget to take off their lenses and sleep while wearing them. Doing this can cause scratches and corneal abrasion.
Also, you need to be careful while cleaning the contact lenses. To avoid irritation and infection, clean the lenses as per the instruction given by the doctor or optometrist.
- Wear eye protection during sports and in school laboratories
Sports-related eye injuries are the most common type of eye injuries in children. It is therefore crucial for children to be instructed for wearing eye protection gear in any sports.
School laboratory is another important risk factor for eye injuries in children. Laboratory professionals should instruct children to wear safety glasses and gloves while inside the room.
- Avoid facewash and soaps getting into the eyes
Often, we are careless when washing our face with facewash, scrubs, and cleaning soaps. When these get into the eyes, it can cause irritation, severe itching, allergic reactions and pain. In some cases, it may even cause temporary blurriness in vision. So, avoid the eye area whenever you wash your face with these types of cleansers.
- Limit the use of eye make-up
Most women who use eye make-ups aren’t aware of the fact that they pose a great threat to the eyes. Almost all eye make-ups contain harmful chemicals that can cause irritation and allergy to the eyes.
Taking certain precautions while using make-up is essential for ensuring eye safety. Health experts recommend replacing your eye make-up with new ones twice a year. Also, make sure that you don’t share your eye make-up with your friends.
Don’t wear eye make-up for too long – rinse them off as soon as you get home. Be careful while using false eyelashes as they can pose a pricking hazard.
- Don’t use OTC eye drops
The practice of buying OTC eye drops to soothe eye itching or burning sensation is very harmful to the eyes as it can cause infection. There are instances where people go and buy the wrong eye drops. This can cause protein to build up in the eyes which can lead to vision impairment.
OTC eye drops can even cause severe irritation. So, if you face any discomfort in your eyes, consult a doctor and only buy the prescribed eye drop(s).
- Wear waterproof glasses while swimming
Most swimming pools contain chlorine stabilizers and calcium added into the water for treatment. The added chemicals in swimming pool water can cause irritation, temporary blurry vision, and reddening of the eyes.
So, it is important that you wear swimming glasses that prevent water from reaching your eyes.
- Wear sunglass while going out in the sun
Sunlight contains harmful UV rays which pose a great threat to the eyes. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause cataract and other dreadful eye complications. So, it is crucial that you wear sunglasses before going out in the sun. Make sure that you wear sunglasses which come with UV protection.
- Have a plan (contact for medical assessment) for unexpected eye injuries
Eye injuries can occur anytime and anywhere. So, it is beneficial to have a plan to address eye injuries. For instance, you can learn the basic procedures for relieving eye injuries and keep the right first aid kit with you.
Or you can keep the contact number of the nearest hospital for emergency during serious eye injuries.
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