Eye injuries can be dangerous especially when you ignore them. In most cases, people damage their vision because they don’t know how to respond in case of an eye injury
From minor incidents like soap water seeping into the eyelid to the catastrophic ones like retinal dislocation caused due to blow suffered on the eye, eye injuries are of several types. A lot of these eye injuries occur while indulging in simple day to day activities like driving to office, playing sports and even doing household chores. Many of them may not seem serious initially. But, if ignored, they can manifest into major problems that are most likely to affect the individual’s ability to see.
While there are deep puncture wounds that are best handled through immediate medical attention, the minor surface scratches that happen due to exposure to external environment, are relatively easier to tackle.
Here is a basic guide to common eye injuries and ways to treat them so that in the unfortunate event of an emergency, you are well-informed about the next step of action to be taken.
Scratched Eye: Each time a foreign object like dust or sand enters the eye or you get poked in the eye, the surface of the eye is damaged. Initially, you may experience minor discomfort and the eyes could become red. The natural human tendency in such cases is to rub the eye to get rid of the foreign particle. This is dangerous and should be avoided as it can amplify the damage. Instead, try flushing out the foreign object by rotating the eyeball in a bowl of lukewarm water or eyewash solution. The easiest way to prevent such injuries is to use eyewear and sunglasses instead of directly exposing your eye to the external environment.
Black eye: Some types of eye injuries are followed by swelling of the eye. This can become quite uncomfortable to bear therefore addressing the problem soon is advisable. Using a cold compress gently at regular intervals will help in suppressing the swelling even when it is caused due to puncture wounds in the eye. Also, remember to elevate the head slightly to prevent the eye from swelling further. You must visit the doctor, even after the swelling has subsided just to ensure that there is no internal damage. Wearing protective eyewear can minimize the risk of such injuries.
Chemicals in the eye: While indulging in activities like cleaning, painting, etc. that involve dealing with certain chemical solutions, the risk of substances being splashed in the eye are high. While some chemical compositions are mild and don’t cause much harm to the eye, there are others that can be very dangerous. Either ways, if you have injured your eye in such an incident, the first thing to do is to let fresh water from the tap flow on your eye for ten to fifteen minutes. This should reduce the irritation. After that, visit the doctor and get your eye examined. Having said that, the best way to prevent such injuries is to work cautiously and always maintain a safe distance between the eyes and hands.
Sun exposure: Excessive exposure to the sun damages not just your skin but also your eyes. Sun’s rays comprise of a series of harmful UV radiation that can lead to major health problems like cancer in the retina, speeden up the cataract formation, etc. Additionally, the damage caused due to exposure to sun reveals itself gradually, over a period of few years.
Here is a quick break-up of the UV radiation and the harm that it poses to your eyesight:
UV A rays: These rays are closer to the visible light spectrum and often rendered harmless. However, overexposure to these rays is responsible for diseases like cataracts, macular degeneration, etc.
UV B rays: In higher doses, UVB rays may cause sunburn inside the eye which can damage the vision majorly.
UV C rays: This is the highest energy radiation coming from the sun and therefore poses the maximum threat to the eyes. Though the ozone layer prevents a large part of this radiation from entering the atmosphere, the constant thinning of ozone, has surely increased the threat.
The simplest way to prevent your eye from being damaged due to exposure to sun is to wear sunglasses.
General steps to take in case of any eye injury
- Don’t rub your eye even if it’s itching because this only damages the highly sensitive surface the eye.
- Take remedial action as soon as possible. Ignoring the problem will only aggravate it.
- Never hesitate to approach an eye doctor. After all, your vision is precious and you wouldn’t want to risk destroying it just because you were feeling too lazy to go to the doctor.
The important preventive measure
In a large number of cases, individuals have suffered eye injuries just because they were not wearing protective eye gear. Therefore, make sure that you don’t repeat this mistake. Today, we have plenty of options available in the market so you can easily choose a stylish eyewear that suits your personality as well as serves the purpose of protecting your eye against several types of injuries.
