Sports Injuries Are One of the Most Common Causes of Blindness in Kids
If you don’t work in factories or play contact sports, you may not think about eye injuries or how to prevent them. Yet thousands of Americans are treated each year for serious eye injuries, nearly half of which occurred at home, according to a recent public survey conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma. Other misconceptions about eye injuries abound. Given that October is Eye Injury Prevention Month, this is a great time to educate yourself on eye injury facts and best practices.
Falls are the leading cause of eye injury, especially for seniors. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) tracked ocular trauma in thousands of patients aged 0 to 80 over a 10-year period. Falls were the number-one culprit, and most of the falls recorded happened to those 60 and older. Slipping and falling down stairs were cited as the top causes of eye injury. Here are some fall-prevention tips for you to review.
Eye injury treatment costs are skyrocketing. Serious ocular trauma includes orbital fractures and being pierced by objects. These injuries can be expensive to treat. According to the AAO, researchers found that the cost to treat eye injuries at hospitals rose by 62 percent during the 10-year period and now exceeds $20,000 per injury. In many cases, these injuries are preventable.
Wearing protective eyewear is the easiest step to prevent eye injuries. Cooking, cleaning with chemicals, home improvement projects, and yard work are all common household tasks that can pose risks to the eyes. These risks can be minimized by wearing protective eyewear. Glasses, goggles, or face shields marked with “ANSI Z87.1” meet the American National Standards Institute safety standard. ANSI-approved protective eyewear can be purchased from most hardware stores.
Some sports are especially risky. More than 40 percent of eye injuries every year are related to sports or recreational activities, reports the AAO. Particularly high-risk sports include baseball, basketball, and racquet sports. Most injuries occurring in school-aged children are sports-related, and 90 percent of these injuries can be avoided with protective eyewear, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).
Never attempt to treat an eye injury yourself. It’s crucial to seek out medical treatment for any eye injury immediately, even if the injury seems minor. Failure to do so can result in permanent vision loss.
Inside REGIONAL EYE OPTICAL, you will find some of the latest safety glasses and protective eyewear on the market.
To learn more, please call 320-587-6309. We are located just inside Regional Eye Center at 1455 Montreal Street, SE in Hutchinson, MN. Our business hours are:
Mon. & Thurs. 8:00am – 7:30pm
Tues. & Wed. 8:00am – 5:30pm
Fri. 8:00am – 4:00pm
Sat. 8:30am to Noon
