October is Home Eye Safety Month and that means now is a good time to read up on how you can protect your eyes and eye-sight.
Eye injuries can affect a significant part of our lives, from work performance to family life. The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that almost 50 percent of all eye injuries happen in the home from daily activities such as cooking, cleaning or home repairs. Other eye injuries can take place outside the home; mowing the lawn, barbecuing, or automotive repairs.
Here are seven tips to make sure you mindfully protect your eyes in and outside the home.
- Safety glasses are key for eye health when using a lawn mower, edging tool or weed trimmer. If you’re using hazardous products such as an oven cleaner, or bleach, safety glasses can protect your eyes from volatile splashes.
- Regular prescription glasses don’t provide enough protection. If you wear prescription glasses, many safety goggles will fit over your regular glasses.
You can find three types of safety lenses that meet the requirements for protecting your eyes. Glass lenses can be used around harsh chemicals. Plastic lenses are lighter weight and not likely to fog. Polycarbonate lenses are stronger than glass or plastic.- Using grease shields will prevent hot oil from splattering up into your face and eyes. And keeping your kitchen tools in good shape, such as knives routinely sharpened, will prevent any breakage or flying material or hard foods into the eye.
- Wear sunglasses with protective lenses that block out those damaging UVA and UVB rays.
- If you have children, make sure that they also are fitted with sunglasses to protect their eyes from sand, dirt and debris outside, as well as from those harmful UV rays.
- Finally make sure that all of your tools and cleaners are locked away and out of reach of children.
Prevent Blindness America offers information on eye-care both in-home and at work, including first-aid for eye injuries. They also provide a list of common eye myths, such as thinking there is nothing you can do to prevent sight loss. Regular eye exams and proper safety eyewear can save your sight.
Remember to keep up on proper eye health during October Home Eye Safety Month. Proper eye health should include a regular scheduled exam, whether or not you’re experiencing eye trouble.
