October is Home Eye Safety Month

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, nearly half of all eye injuries occur in the home. Seemingly harmless daily activities such as cleaning, cooking and making home repairs can pose significant risk to eye safety. And while one might guess that a large percentage of eye injuries take place during outdoor activities such as lawn care or automotive repairs, more than a third of home-sustained eye injuries occur in living areas such as the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living or family room.

Some tips for minimizing the chance of eye injury:

1. Carefully read the labels on all chemicals and household cleaners. Hazardous products such as insect repellent, oven cleaner and bleach cause more than 125,000 eye injuries annually. These products can be especially volatile when mixed.
2. Ensure nozzles on household cleaners are pointed away from you.
3. Hot oil or grease is the cause of thousands of injuries each year. Use grease shields to prevent splattering while cooking.
4. Screws or nails can become projectiles, as can broken sheetrock, tile or cement. Wear protective eyewear while caring for your lawn, making home repairs or using power tools.
5. Always wear safety glasses when using a lawn mower, edging tool or weed trimmer. Remove any debris such as limbs or rocks that might be thrown airborne by the mower.
6. Know that damaging UV rays can cause eye injuries. Protect your sight with lenses designed to block out UVA and UVB rays.
7. Secure rugs and cords to prevent falls indoors. Coil extension cords and garden hoses to prevent falls outdoors.

Children are also at risk of household eye injuries:

1. Make certain toys are used appropriately. Projectile-firing toys pose a danger to all children, particularly those under the age of five. 
2. Falling with a toy can pose significant injury. Take precautions such as securing rugs, electrical cords or other tripping hazards that might cause a child to lose his or her balance.
3. Sand, dirt and debris on the playground can be potentially harmful. Fitting your youngster with sunglasses made for children can be effective in preventing damage from harmful UV rays, and can also guard against foreign substances.
4. Tools and objects meant for grown-ups can pose danger in the hands of small children who may not understand their intended use. Keep items such as garden tools, knives and forks, scissors, pens and pencils out of reach.
5. Prevent contact with harmful household products (detergents, paints, glues, etc.) by locking the area in which they are stored.

We can’t restore vision, but we can help. If you are experiencing vision loss, vision rehabilitation can help maximize your remaining eyesight and minimize the negative effect low vision has on your everyday life.

Lori Holmgren RN, MSN

Resource: http://www.envisionus.com