How common are eye injuries?
Eye injuries can vary in severity from minor scratches to sight-threatening problems. Eye injury can occur in any environment from the work place to the home and garden.
What natural defenses protect the eye from injury?
The eyes possess many protective structures and defenses. The eye sits in a protective bony cavity called the orbit.
The eyebrows, lids, lashes, a blink reflex and tears are all mechanisms that help to reduce damage to the eye from external injuries.
What types of eye injury are there?
Injuries unfortunately do occur and can result in damage to any part of the eye.
The following lists some of the more common eye injuries.
This is another name for a scratch on the surface of the eye. It can result from any minor trauma, such as those caused by a fingernail (babies seem to be particularly good at inflicting this injury) or walking into a tree branch or bush.
Corneal abrasions are extremely painful. However, they tend to heal within 24 to 48 hours. An antibiotic drop or ointment should be used to prevent the healing scratch from becoming infected.
Serious damage can occur when chemicals come into contact with the eyes. This can be acid or alkali solutions or common household detergents e.g. bleach. Alkalis are particularly harmful to the eye and penetrate more easily through the cornea, causing damage inside the eye. More recently there has been a significant increase in eye injury's with the common "liquitab" capsules particularly in children.
Eyelids, conjunctiva (the lacy lining of the white of the eye),and the cornea can suffer burns. Chemicals should be washed out of the eye immediately with eye baths or tap or bottled water, and emergency medical help should be sought. The amount of damage to the ocular tissue depends on the offending agent and the degree of burns. Usually with prompt medical attention there is no permanent damage to the ocular surface however inadequately treated chemical injuries can lead to long term problems with scar formation.
Foreign bodies can be superficial (on the surface of the eye) or penetrating (going into the eye).
Superficial foreign bodies are common and result from small particles getting onto the surface of the eye, for example blown into the eye while outside. They often give a painful gritty feeling 'like something in the eye'. These are usually easily removed with medical help. Metal fragments can get lodged in the cornea; this is common in certain professions (eg mechanics), but can be avoided by wearing appropriate eye protection.
Penetrating foreign bodies are small particles, often metal, which penetrate the outer coating of the eye and land inside the eyeball or bony orbit around the eye. They are usually the result from material hitting the surface of the eye at high-velocity commonly due to hammering or chiselling metal again, more common in certain professions. A penetrating foreign body usually results in immediate reduction in vision, and pain and requires urgent medical assessment. Depending on the type of foreign body surgery is often required to remove it. A penetrating foreign body is largely avoidable with meticulous use of safety goggles with the British Standards kitemark (BS EN 166) which should be provided by employers.
Blunt eye injury is common and is often related to sports, such as a football hitting the eye.
Injury to the eye can result in a hyphema (bleeding inside the eye) or damage to the retina (such as retinal tears, which may cause a retinal detachment).
The bones that surround the eye can also be broken (known as a 'blow out' fracture). This is a particular problem with squash ball injuries, and safety goggles should be worn to minimise the risk.
This is the term used for a cut in the eyelids. These can vary from a superficial scratch to a full thickness laceration through the entire thickness of the eyelid. Lid lacerations require surgical attention; they usually heal well however if the laceration is near the tear duct it is more difficult to repair and can result in a permanent watery eye.
So what can you do?
The best advice is to avoid the injury in the first place, rather than try to deal with the consequences.
Careful handling and storage of chemicals can reduce risks, as can observation of health and safety regulations at work and safe play during sports, especially combat sports, racket sports, football, rugby and hockey.
Exposure to chemicals in children can often be avoided by ensuring that all cleaning products and irritants are stored out of sight and reach.
2. Protection safety eyeware
Always consider safety glasses and goggles when carrying out DIY or playing sport.
Always wear appropriate eye protection when carrying out any work with a hammer or where debris has the potential to enter the eye – such as DIY, or hedge trimming.
If you are welding or are near someone else who is welding, wear a mask or goggles designed for welding.
Protective eyewear is often made of polycarbonate, a highly impact-resistant plastic. It is usually eight times stronger than other materials. Remember contact lenses offer no eye protection and regular spectacles provide inadequate protection most of the time.
3. Appropriate first aid
Wash first, think later!! Chemical eye injuries should be washed out immediately. Washing the chemical away from the eye immediately minimises the time that that chemical is in contact with the eye, and therefore reduces the amount of burning. Ideally the eye should be open and washed with lots of sterile saline, such as that found in eye baths. However, washing out with tap, shower or bottled water is a good alternative.
Our eyesight is precious, take good care of yours.
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Last updated 29.04.2016