Category: Safety Glasses

First Aid for Eye Emergencies

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Below I have included information from the National Society to Prevent Blindness for first aid treatment for eye emergencies. I have added some information to help you decide when to seek professional help. If in doubt, call Westside Optometry or go to the nearest emergency department.

Chemical Burns
Eye damage from chemical burns may be extremely serious, as from alkalis or caustic acids; or less severe, as from chemical “irritants.”
DO flush the eye with water immediately, continuously and gently, for at least 15 minutes. Hold head under faucet or pour water into the eye using any clean container. Keep eye open as widely as possible during flushing.
DO see a doctor or go to the emergency room.
DO NOT use an eye cup, the water must run off your eye and use lots of it.

If a contact lens is in the eye, begin flushing over the lens immediately. This may wash away the lens.
DO NOT bandage the eye.

Spray cans are a common source of chemical eye injury, compounded by the force of contact. Whether containing caustics or “irritants,” they must be carefully used and kept away from children.

Specks in the Eye
DO lift upper eyelid outward and down over the lower lid.
DO let tears wash out speck or particle
If the speck doesn’t wash out – keep eye closed, bandage lightly and see a doctor.
DO NOT rub the eye.
DO NOT try to remove with a finger or any other object.

If you suspect the particle is metal, call the office immediately, do not wait until the next day.  Metallic foreign bodies can rust overnight creating a larger area of damage.

Blows to the Eye
DO apply cold compresses immediately without putting pressure on the eye for 15 minutes; again each hour as needed to reduce pain and swelling.
DO  see a doctor if there is discoloration or a “black eye”
DO  seek emergency care if there is pain, blurred or double vision

Cuts and Punctures of Eye or Eyelid
DO bandage lightly and see a doctor at once. The bottom half of a paper cup can be used.
DO NOT wash out the eye with water.
DO NOT try to remove an object stuck in the eye.

 Prevention

Of course, preventing eye injuries is the wisest action.

Wear eye protection for all hazardous activities and sports -at school, home and on the job.

Stock a first aid kit with a rigid eye shield and commercial eyewash before an eye injury happens.

DO NOT assume that any eye injury is harmless. When in doubt, give us a call or go to the emergency department.

Use’em or Lose’em

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EvatiK ZylIf your flex spending funds expire at the end of the year consider your eyewear needs. You can order contact lenses, a pair of computer glasses or some sunglasses.

We’ve expanded our new FYSH line to include the men’s frames Evatik. Evatik incorporates innovative designs and lightweight materials.

The new Kate Spade sunglasses have arrived also. Check out “Grady,” the brown is pictured here. The sunglass also comes in black and has polka dots on the inside.  Grady

If you want to order contact lenses, you can simply call the office, they can be shipped directly to you, or use our online contact ordering, the link is on the right of the page. (ORDER CONTACTS)

Firework Safety

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Fireworks For most of us, celebrating the Fourth of July means barbeques and fireworks. Unfortunately, the fun can be cut short when fireworks are used inappropriately and cause serious injuries. One of the most common causes of firework injury is when a device explodes before expected. This often results in cuts, burns and bruises in and around the eye. Sparklers are not exempt, in fact they are responsible for a significant percentage of  eye injury cases.

According to a study by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks were the culprit for an estimated 8,800 injuries treated in US emergencies departments during 2009. Of these, 54 present were children and teens under the age of 20 years.

Below are tips to help protect and preserve eyesight during the Fourth of July holiday.

  • Discuss firework safety with children and teens prior to the Fourth of July holiday.
  • Do not allow kids to handle fireworks and never leave them unsupervised near fireworks.
  • Wear protective eyewear when lighting and handling fireworks of any kind.
  • Store fireworks, matches and lighters in a secure place where children won’t find them.
  • Refrain from purchasing sparklers. Heating up to 1,800 degrees, sparklers are the number one cause of fireworks injuries requiring trips to the emergency room.
  • Be aware of your surroundings and only light fireworks when family, friends and children are at a safe distance.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Don’t Become a Statistic

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I saw a few statistics about protective eyewear and sports this week. The most important fact about wearing safety eyewear for sports is that it prevents you and your children from becoming one of the following statistics. This information is from the US Department of Health and Human Services:

 Nearly 2.5 million eye injuries occur each year.
 More than a quarter of these injuries occur during sporting and recreational activities.
 Children under 15 years of age account for nearly one-third of all eye trauma hospital admissions and 43 % of sports and recreational eye injuries overall

It is important to remember that even if an eye injury seems to be minor it may be serious. Loss of vision, severe pain or tenderness and cuts around the eye require immediate medical attention. Secondly, if you do go to the emergency room, are discharged, but your vision and/or eye still do not seem right, give me a call. I have seen patients after ER visits with foreign bodies still in the eye and undiagnosed broken orbit bones (the bones around the eye).

More than 90 % of all eye injuries can be prevented with the use of appropriate protective eyewear. Sports participants using corrective eyewear or sunglasses that do not conform to safety standards are at greater risk of eye injury than participants using no eye protection at all. Safety frames must pass two rigorous impact tests, which dress frames do not undergo. Basically, a steel ball and a pointed projectile are dropped on the lenses of the glasses. No parts or fragments of the frame or goggle can fly off which might contact the eye.

The lenses in regular eyeglasses could easily pop out and puncture or cut the eye. A frame mangled from impact could also injure the eye and face.Slam safety glasses