DID you know that about half of all eye injuries occur at home?
Everyday life can present numerous hazards to our eyes and vision, for example gardening, cleaning and cooking can all be high-risk situations for our eyes.
Of course, completing tasks such as welding, concreting and building also pose obvious threats to our eyes.
Given that 90 per cent of eye injuries are preventable, the team at Swan Hill and Kerang Optical is always encouraging everyone to wear protective eyewear when undertaking these high-risk activities.
“The warmer and longer days that we are starting to experience means that more people are catching up on jobs around the home. The number of people we see for removal of objects from eyes and other eye injuries is increasing, and more alarmingly they generally occur because people aren’t wearing the correct eye protection,” local optometrist Kayla Adams said.
There are many types of eye injuries, including having pieces of metal or wood in the eye, scratches to the cornea (which is the front surface of the eye), chemical burns, and trauma to the eyelids and orbit surrounding the eye.
“Simply putting a pair of safety spectacles on can reduce the risk of these injuries occurring, even if it’s just for a quick job as you never know what might happen. You only have one set of eyes so we need to protect them,” Ms Adams said.
For those who require prescription spectacles, there are options available for prescription safety eyewear.
This means that hazardous tasks can be performed safely and with clear vision. Regular prescription glasses are not suitable when using tools as debris can still easily enter the eye and also scratch the glasses lenses.
Swan Hill and Kerang Optical work closely with a safety eyewear company to provide certified prescription products that have passed performance and quality assurance tests stipulated by the Australian standards.
Many local businesses within the region are proactive at providing their staff with prescription safety glasses, allowing the completion of work in a safe and clearly viewed environment.
It’s a bonus that it is also a tax deduction. However, prescription safety eyewear is also readily available for the general public and should be strongly considered.
Practice manager Kristy Burney said safety eyewear must conform to a higher standard of impact resistance than regular glasses, and this applies to both the lenses and frames.
“They also come with padding around the edges, which can prevent debris from going up under the frames and entering the eyes,” Ms Burney said.
“If you are unsure if your protective eyewear meets these standards then please come and ask us, we are more than happy to help.”
Remember that all eye injuries should be treated as potential emergencies.
It’s always recommended you contact or visit your optometrist, or the hospital emergency department if out of business hours as soon as possible after obtaining an eye injury.
For more information about protecting your eyes and prescription safety eyewear, call in and speak to the experienced team at Swan Hill and Kerang Optical.
