Eye Care Safety Tips

There are 500,000 eye injuries every year in the USA.  The leading cause of blindness in children is eye injury.  90% of injures can be avoided by using proper eye protection.

• Almost anything that can splash into the eye can damage it. 
• Keep all household, garden, and automotive chemicals safely stored and locked away from children, as well as paints, pesticides, fertilizers, and cleaning agents.
• Wear protective eyewear when working with any of these products, and never mix cleaning products.
• Never remove Safety guards from power equipment and tools.  Wear protective eyewear to avoid flying particles and debris when using them.
• Car batteries contain sulfuric acid and produce hydrogen gas while being charged.  Always wear protective eyewear when working with batteries and jump-starting vehicles.
• Pick up all yard debris before using lawn equipment and wear protective eye wear while operating it.  Children should not be near areas where lawn equipment is being used.
• Children and adults should use sports-specific eyewear to avoid sports related eye injuries.
• Consumer fireworks cause 2,000 eye injuries per year.  The best protection is to leave fireworks to the professionals. Read more about fireworiks and eye safety here.
• Ultraviolet and infrared  light from the sun, welding arcs and tanning beds can damage your eyes; it may also contribute to age-related macular degeneration.  Use proper eye protection and never look directly at a solar eclipse.
• Never allow children to play with laser pointers.  The light aimed in to the eye can be more damaging that staring directly into the sun.
• Keep older children's toys away from younger children.  Do not let children of any age use flying toys and projectile-firing toys without adult supervision. 
• To avoid eye infection, do not share eye makeup or eye drops with anyone.