Do you enjoy watching your children or pets play, or a beautiful sunset? How about your favorite sports team? We all have things in our lives that we love to watch. Now, what if you were not able to watch these  things that are important to you?

In the U.S. 2.5 million eye injuries occur each year, with 50% of these happening at home. (1) So with this being the case, what can we do to prevent eye injuries at home?

Here are a few suggestions of what you can do to avoid eye injuries happening at home.

• Wear eye protection when you know there is a risk of something getting into your eyes. This is especially important when working with chemicals or in a dusty environment. Corrective lenses do not qualify as protective. Get some safety glasses that will fit over your glasses.
• Be sure to follow all instructions when working with chemicals. Do not mix chemicals together, and work in a well ventilated areas.
• Remove tripping hazards, making homes safe for both young and old. Tripping and falling does not mean you will just get a bruise, it can be just as easy to bump your eye on something when falling.
• Remove any garbage before beginning yard work, especially if it involves using a lawn mower or weed trimmer which may throw things and cause an injury to yourself or an innocent bystanders.
• Remember to always wash your hands after completing a task before you touch your eyes or face.
• Make sure any tools or cleaners are out of the reach of children.
• Take precautions when cooking especially when using something like hot oil that can accidentally splash into your eyes.

No matter what precautions we take, accidents can and do happen. If you do injure your eye look after it right away. This may involve flushing the eye with water if you splash a chemical into it, to applying a cold compress if you have hit your eye on something. And of course if you have something stuck in your eye or your vision has been affected, seek medical assistance.

You can also check out a previous post that shows the importance of eye care and what organizations are available to assist you if you do happen to lose some or all of your vision.