The month of October is recognized as national eye injury prevention month by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Some stats regarding eye injuries courtesy of the AAO are below:

  • Each year an estimated 2.4 million eye injuries occur in the United States
  • Nearly 35% of all eye injuries occur in people 18 to 45 years of age
  • Accidents involving common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year
  • More than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day. Of the total amount of work-related injuries, 10-20% will cause temporary or permanent vision loss
  • A foreign body in the eye is the most common type of injury, accounting for 35% of eye injuries, open wounds and contusions each account for about 25%, and the remaining injuries are burns

Protecting our eyes, both at home and at work, is extremely important. Utilizing protective eye wear such as safety glasses, goggles, or face masks will protect your eyes from the hazards that are thrown their way. For some more specific eyewear tips, see below courtesy of the AAO:

  • Workplace eye safety
    • Wear safety glasses, goggles or a face shield when engaging in work with tools such as hammering nails or metal and working with power tools and chemicals
    • Make sure you’re wearing the correct eye protection for the job you are undertaking, and most importantly, that they fit properly
  • Recreational eye safety
    • Ensure that you wear protective eyewear while playing sports such as hockey, racquetball, or any high contact sport
    • A sports-related injury that often goes unnoticed is injuries from UV light sustained by the sun during boating, sunbathing, or skiing. Sun damage to the eyes can be prevented by wearing sunglasses that block ultraviolet UV rays and also by wearing a hat
  • Home eye safety
    • When handling corrosive or any sort of dangerous chemicals, make sure that you wear the proper protective eyewear to prevent splashes in your eyes
    • When handling chemicals, always follow the warning labels and guidelines set out on the bottle.
    • Before tending to your yard, do a quick scan of your gardens and lawn to remove any debris before using a lawn mower, trimmer, or blower
    • Before and after handling any sort of chemical, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands
    • Keep chemicals out of reach of children and ensure that there is a lock of sorts on the cabinet
    • While cooking, wear protective eyewear or a cooking shield. This will help to prevent oils from splashing onto your face or eyes

Keep these tips in mind throughout your day, whether at work, or at home. If you do that, then you can ensure the safety of your sight for years to come.