With the Fourth of July in our rearview mirror, we at the Anne Arundel Eye Center started to think about eye injuries. Did you know that 2.5 million eye injuries occur each and every year and 50,000 of those injuries result in complete or partial vision loss? More astonishingly, according to experts, 44% of Eye Injuries Occur in the Home and more than 90% of these injuries could have been prevented with proper protective eyewear. Every year, thousands of people suffer eye injuries in and around the home performing everyday tasks like mowing the lawn and frying bacon.
The Importance of Protective Eyewear
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Ocular Trauma (ASOT) recommend having AT LEAST one pair of protective eyewear in the home and to use the eyewear often.
“Protective eyewear could prevent most home eye injuries, but you have to have the eyewear in the home to use them,” said AAO spokesman Andrew Iwach.
Everyday household items, like bungee cords, frying pans, and lawn and household chemicals, present risks of eye injuries, risks that are often overlooked until it is too late. In fact, a survey conducted by AAO/ASOT revealed that most people underestimate their at-home risks. Most respondents ranked eye disease to be a more significant threat to their vision than injury.
“Slipping on a pair of safety glasses is quick and easy,” ASOT President Ferenc Kuhn, MD, PhD, says in a news statement. “Unfortunately, compared to other commonsense safety steps such as wearing seatbelts, using protective eyewear does not happen frequently enough.”
In fact, two-thirds of survey respondents admitted to owning protective eyewear, yet 30% said they did not consistently use the eyewear when doing home repairs or projects.
If you have any questions about our blog, “44% of Eye Injuries Occur in the Home: The Importance of Protective Eyewear,” or wish to schedule an appointment, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at the Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!
For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.
Source:
Nearly Half of Eye Injuries Occur at Home