Wear appropriate eye protection (and encourage your children to do so) when participating in sports and recreational activities. Also use eye proctection when doing carpentry (hammering nails, sawing wood),or when working near machinery, lawn mowers, weeding power equipment, car batteries, chemicals or anything that may cause flying particles.
 DO be sure that the lenses and frames of safety glasses that are certified have passed the standard written by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) also writes standards for sports/recreational eye protectors. Polycarbonate lenses are preferable.The better sports eye protectors are made of polycarbonate with molded temples. Wear eye appropriate protection (i.e., splash goggles) when using such potentially hazardous substances as ammonia, oven cleaner and other chemicals.
DO wear sunglasses, plain or with prescription lenses, to protect the eyes against sunlight and on cloudy days to protect against ultraviolet radiation. Make certain the sunglasses specify 99 percent ultraviolet blocking capability because darkness of lenses does not mean the same thing and darker lenses are not always better.
DO wear polycarbonate protection eyewear during waking hours if you have good vision in only one eye.
DO turn your face away or close your eyes when spraying perfume, hair spray or deodorant. Use care when applying lotions, creams or oils on the eyelids or around the eyes. If you are exposed to these or other chemicals, severe irritation may result.
DO NOT substitute ordinary streetwear glasses or contact lenses for appropriate eye protection. Ordinary glasses may break on impact, often leading to severe eye injury, and contact lenses provide no protection whatsoever against eye injury. Polycarbonate lenses are the most impact resistant material.
DO NOT allow children to play with hazardous "toys" such as BB, pellet or paintball guns, bows and arrows, darts or firecrackers. Injuries sustained by both children and adults when using these items have often resulted in permanent damage or loss of an eye.
DO NOT use an eyecup since it may harbor harmful bacteria. Prolonged use of a decongestant that "gets the red out," may mask the symptoms and postpone treatment of a potentially serious eye condition.
DO NOT wear dark or heavily tinted glasses at night.
Eye Safety Tips for Contact Lens Wearers
Remove your contact lenses before entering a pool or hot tub. Chlorination may not kill harmful bacteria or parasites in the water. If you wear contact lenses and they are exposed to bacteria, serious eye infection and corneal disease may result. Use only commercially prepared solutions for contact lens care. Avoid homemade saline solutions of salt tablets and distilled or tap water.
DO NOT ever use tap or distilled water, or saliva to rinse contact lenses. After lenses have been removed, always disinfect and rinse them before reinserting. Failure to adhere to a strict cleansing routine can result in severe infection, corneal disease, and even loss of an eye.
DO NOT substitute ordinary streetwear glasses or contact lenses for safety eyewear. Ordinary glasses may break on impact, often leading to severe eye injury, and contact lenses provide no protection whatsoever against eye injury.
First Aid Treatment For Eye Injuries
Never guess about the severity of an eye injury. Seek medical attention as soon as possible following an injury, particularly if you have pain in the eye, blurred vision, loss of vision or loss of field of vision. There are several simple first aid steps that can and should be taken until medical assistance is obtained.
Chemical Exposure (i.e., oven cleaner, drain cleaner, or other caustic products or concentrated acid products)
DO immediately flush the eye with water or any drinkable (potable) liquid (such as milk), continuously for at least 30 minutes. Dilution as well as washing out particulate matter is the key.
DO hold head under a shower or water fountain or use a garden hose at low pressure to pour water into the eye. Leaving for the hospital or taking time to call a physician before flushing the eye first will only allow additional damage to occur and could mean loss of vision.
DO NOT try to neutralize the chemical.
Blows To The Eye
DO place a small, soft plastic sandwich bag wrapped in a clean cloth or gauze, filled with crushed ice (the size of a golf ball) gently over the eye, taping it to the forehead, to reduce pain and swelling. Whole ice cubes or commercial ice packs are too heavy and may cause further damage.
DO see an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) immediately if there is severe swelling or bleeding, decrease or loss of vision or field of vision, or double vision.
DO NOT allow the injured person to blow his nose, because, in case of a fracture of the orbit (socket), bacteria from the sinuses may be blown into the tissues around the eye, causing eye infection.
DO NOT allow injured person to rub the eye.
DO NOT apply pressure to the eye.
DO seek medical help immediately.
DO protect the eye with something hard, such as sunglasses or the bottom of a milk carton or a paper or Styrofoam cup taped over the eye, while en route to medical care.
DO NOT wash out the eye or try to remove an object stuck in the eye or orbit (socket).
Cuts or Punctures of the Eye or Eyelid
DO seek medical help immediately.
DO protect the eye with something hard, such as sunglasses or the bottom of a milk carton or a cup taped over the eye, while en route to medical care.
DO NOT wash out the eye or try to remove an object stuck in the eye or orbit (socket).
DO NOT apply pressure to the eye.
Foreign Body in the Eye
DO see an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) immediately if the particle does not wash out or if pain persists.
DO allow natural tearing to flush out the particle. If it does not flush out, use a squeeze-type bottle of commercial eye solution to irrigate the eye, which may dislodge the particle.
DO NOT remove protruding objects. Seek immediate medical aid.
DO NOT directly rub a speck or particle. Pull upper eyelid down over the lower eyelid and allow it to push the speck out of the eye.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses, plain or with prescription lenses, protect the eyes against sunlight (ultraviolet radiation). Make certain the sunglasses specify 99 percent ultraviolet blocking capability because darkness of lenses does not mean the same thing and darker lenses are not always better. Sunglasses that are too dark and "fool" the pupil so that it will not constrict allow more ultraviolet light to enter the eye. Polycarbonate lenses are strongly recommended for safety.
|
