Health News
Most of us tend to concentrate on protecting our skin during the warmer months of the year. But did you know that protecting your eyes is just as important as protecting your skin, especially while participating in certain activities at home?
Not only do your eyes need to be shielded from the sun, they also need to be protected from debris, household particles, and saltwater or chlorinated water.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 48 percent of reported eye injuries occur in the home, nearly a third of which were caused by play or sports, and more than one in five injuries were due to performing home repair or using power tools.
?Goggles or wraparound safety glasses are a smart idea for all safety concerns ? in and out of the home,? says Gerami Seitzman, M.D., an ophthalmologist at the Krieger Eye Institute at Sinai Hospital. ?So many injuries occur at home that are 100 percent preventable. Properly shielded eyes will be protected from flying debris while doing yard work or aerosolized sawdust from power tool use.
?Most of the eye injuries that I encounter are from work injuries in construction or welding,? says Seitzman. Eye injuries from sports such as basketball, lacrosse and tennis are also very common.
If you or your children are headed to the pool this summer, make sure to wear goggles. They will allow you to avoid eye damage when swimming in a chlorinated pool or in a large body of water such as the ocean. The chemicals in the chlorine can dry out the eyes resulting in irritation, and the high salt and dirt content in the ocean can have a similar effect.
Our eyes also need protection from other natural elements like sun rays and pollen. Sunglasses are crucial at all ages and during every season, Seitzman says. Wear sunglasses especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest.
Other tips:
-Eyewear should completely cover your eyes and provide protection from UVA and UVB rays.
-Use a cool compress and artificial tears if you have red, irritated eyes.
-Wear goggles when doing a home repair project, including woodworking.
-Betsy Haley
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Health News
Summer Eye Safety
Most of us tend to concentrate on protecting our skin during the warmer months of the year. But did you know that protecting your eyes is just as important as protecting your skin, especially while participating in certain activities at home?
Not only do your eyes need to be shielded from the sun, they also need to be protected from debris, household particles, and saltwater or chlorinated water.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 48 percent of reported eye injuries occur in the home, nearly a third of which were caused by play or sports, and more than one in five injuries were due to performing home repair or using power tools.
?Goggles or wraparound safety glasses are a smart idea for all safety concerns ? in and out of the home,? says Gerami Seitzman, M.D., an ophthalmologist at the Krieger Eye Institute at Sinai Hospital. ?So many injuries occur at home that are 100 percent preventable. Properly shielded eyes will be protected from flying debris while doing yard work or aerosolized sawdust from power tool use.
?Most of the eye injuries that I encounter are from work injuries in construction or welding,? says Seitzman. Eye injuries from sports such as basketball, lacrosse and tennis are also very common.
If you or your children are headed to the pool this summer, make sure to wear goggles. They will allow you to avoid eye damage when swimming in a chlorinated pool or in a large body of water such as the ocean. The chemicals in the chlorine can dry out the eyes resulting in irritation, and the high salt and dirt content in the ocean can have a similar effect.
Our eyes also need protection from other natural elements like sun rays and pollen. Sunglasses are crucial at all ages and during every season, Seitzman says. Wear sunglasses especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest.
Other tips:
-Eyewear should completely cover your eyes and provide protection from UVA and UVB rays.
-Use a cool compress and artificial tears if you have red, irritated eyes.
-Wear goggles when doing a home repair project, including woodworking.
-Betsy Haley
- Help Prevent Leading Cause Of Child Death: Unintentional Injury
Every day 2,000 children die from preventable injuries, making unintentional injuries the leading cause of death for children in the United States. More of these injuries occur during the summer than any other season. "Kids are outside more, out of school...
- How To Keep Kids Safe From Traumatic Brain Injuries This Summer
About 1.7 million people in the U.S. suffer a traumatic brain injury each year, and nearly half a million children under 15 visit an emergency room for TBI. A brain injury is traumatic if it disrupts the normal function of the brain. Dr. Michael Egnor,...
- Ensure Children's Eye Safety During Fall Sports Season
Children are back in school, playing sports, and parents can take precautions to ensure their children's eye safety as they compete. Although many parents are unaware of the risks posed to their child's eye safety, about 40,000 eye injuries take...
- Itchy, Watery Eyes? Some Tips To Relieve Spring Allergy Symptoms
The sunshine and bright colors of spring are here, but so are seasonal allergies from pollen, dander, smog or mold that can often lead to itchy, watery eyes. Eye irritation is the body's immune response to allergens, so when pollen comes in contact...
- Staying Safe This Weekend
Fireworks are one of the highlights of the Fourth of July holiday. However in the blink of an eye, a mistake can tragically turn their beauty into permanent injury, eye damage or blindness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,...