Our eyes are one of the most important parts of our body, and yet can be damaged fairly easily. Injuries can occur from objects or chemicals that come into contact with your eyes, or other bacteria and substances that make their way into your eyes from rubbing or touching them yourself.

Our eyes can be infected in the same way our mouth can, so remember to never touch or rub your eyes with dirty hands. And always visit your doctor immediately if you think there might be something wrong with your eye, as without proper treatment, you might be left with partial vision loss or even permanent blindness.

Symptoms of Eye Injury

There are many differents ways to injure your eyes and therefore there is  a range of symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms make sure to visit your doctor:

  • Eye pain
  • Redness and irritation
  • Light sensitivity
  • Double vision
  • Severe itching
  • Burning or stinging
  • Bleeding/bruising from the eye
  • One eye is sticking out or bulging
  • Decreased/loss of vision

If you have major pain, bleeding, or sudden loss of vision in your eyes visit an emergency room immediately.

What Not to Do in Case of Eye Emergency

Attempting to fix or self treat an eye injury can lead to even more problems. Make sure not to:

  • Rub or further irritate the injured eye
  • Attempt to remove any objects that are stuck
  • Touch your eyes with tweezers or any other tools
  • Put medications, ointments, or any other liquid other than water on your eye

Always flush your eye with clean cold water. If you wear contact lenses, it’s better to leave them in in most cases, unless they can’t be flushed out with water

Trying to take them out if they are damaged can hurt your eyes even more. The best thing you can do in these situations is get to your doctor as fast as possible.

Preventing Eye Injury

Eye injuries can happen anywhere, at any time. Work or home environments, athletic or casual recreational events, even relaxing on vacation.

They can happen when you’re being aware and cautious and also when you least expect them. There are some things you can do to prevent injuries, including:

  • Wearing protective eye wear whenever working with power tools or other dangerous tools
  • Follow the directions for whatever cleaning substance or chemical you’re using carefully
  • Keep sharp objects organized and safe, and make sure everyone knows how to properly use and store them
  • Use caution when cooking with grease and oil
  • Keep hair styling tools that heat up such as straight and curling irons away from your eyes and use with extreme caution
  • Be careful when shooting fireworks and follow instructions exactly

About New Optical Palace

New Optical Palace is your Optician and Optometrist in the Kitchener and Waterloo Area. We offer eye exams for adults and children and a wide selection of prescription glasses for your prescription, contact lenses, and sunglasses.