Every year more than one million people get eye
injuries, out of which ninety percent are preventable if
safety eyewear is used. One hundred and twenty five
thousand eye injury cases are caused by household
products.
It is a good habit to wash hands regularly, especially
after handling household chemicals. When using
detergents and hazardous solvents, the handler must wear
chemical safety goggles. Also, no children must be
around while handling chemicals. While spraying, the
nozzle must be turned away from the face. Fertilizers,
pesticides and paints must be stored away from reach.
While doing household activities proper protective gears
such as goggles, gloves, boots and helmet should be
worn, if required. The house must be illuminated
adequately to avoid accidents in the dark. Stairs should
also be illuminated and the rails must also be
installed. The instructions for opening the tops of
bottles must be read carefully to avoid them from
popping and injuring other people. Children and
adolescents should read instructions before handling
operating equipment before playing games. All power
equipment must be installed with guards. While playing
outside, the eyes must be protected by UV protective
goggles and it is a bad idea to look at the sun
directly.
Precautions should not only be taken indoors, but
outdoors too. This is because; more than forty thousand
people get eye injuries outdoors. Ninety nine percent of
the injuries are caused while playing sports. So it is
necessary for the youngsters to wear protective eyewear
while playing sports or when involved in outdoor
recreational activities. A special helmet is designed
with wire shield or polycarbonate face mask which is not
only safe, but comfortable, too. Protective eyewear
should also be worn while performing experiments in
science lab. Fireworks must only be handled by adults.
Because of increasing use of computers, more and more
youngsters are getting eye strains. The symptoms of eye
strain caused by computer are red & watery eyes,
focusing problems, aching & tired eyelids, eye muscle
spasm, backache and headache. In such an environment,
eye exercise must be done regularly. The eyes must be
made to focus on distant objects and should be rotated
from side to side. It is extremely important to give
ample rest to the eyes. Glasses with UV shield must be
worn when looking at the computer screen. Eye strain can
be avoided by increasing the distance from the monitor.
Eye hazards are also caused when cosmetics are used
improperly by contact lens wearers. Some of the adverse
reactions are injury, eye irritation, allergy, dryness,
infection, and lens deposition. That is the reason why
adolescents must be made aware of the risk they will
face when opting for contact lens. Girls should
understand that they should buy hypoallergenic cosmetics
and especially the non-scented variety, manufactured by
big brand names. Cosmetics should not be shared with
anything else. The applicator brushes must be washed
regularly and old mascara must be disposed and not
refilled. Eye shadows which are glittery, pearlized,
frosted or iridescent contain ground tinsel or oyster
shell, which should be always avoided. Eyeliner should
not be applied in the inner lid edge. Loose powder
should be avoided. Cream should not be applied near the
eyes. The wearer should wash hands while handling
contact lens. No crying, washing of face or bathing
should be done with the contact lens on.
