You may be surprised to learn that more than 1 million people suffer an eye injury every year in the United States. You may be even more surprised to learn that most of these eye injuries happen at home and can be avoided and for that reason the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has set aside the month of October for a public health awareness campaign aimed at preventing eye injuries.
Unfortunately, only about three out of ten people wear protective eyewear during home projects that can cause an injury to their eyes. Wearing protective eye wear will reduce your risk for eye injury by 90 percent! The AAO urges every household to have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear. (“ANSI-approved” means the protective eyewear is made to meet safety standards of the American National Standards Institute.)
The AAO has listed some of the most common places that eye injuries happen as well as prevention tips for these indoor and outdoor activities:
In the house: When using household chemicals, read the instructions and labels carefully, work in a well-ventilated area and make sure to point spray nozzles away from you. Many chemicals are extremely hazardous and can permanently damage the surface of your eyes, resulting in some loss of vision or even blindness.
In the garage/workshop: Wear protective eyewear to shield your eyes from flying fragments, fumes, dust particles, sparks and splashing chemicals. Power tools can also send wood chips or other substances flying into the air. Many objects can fly into your eyes unexpectedly and cause injury.
In the yard/garden: Put on protective eyewear before you use a lawnmower, power trimmer or edger and be sure to check for rocks and stones because they can become dangerous projectiles as they shoot from these machines.
Learn how to recognize an eye injury and get the right care when you or a family member is injured at home. If you or a family member experiences an eye injury, seek immediate emergency medical attention or call an ophthalmologist near you.