During the summer, it may seem as though our children are at a higher risk of suffering from eye injuries. After all, dirt and sand from the beach can become trapped under an eyelid, or a child may be hit by a bat, baseball or hockey stick during summer games. But, knowing how to treat eye injuries in advance can prevent damage and future complications.Â
Traumatic Iritis
Traumatic iritis occurs when the iris (the colored part of the eye) becomes inflamed due to a poke or strike to the eye with a blunt object, such as a ball. It’s important to seek medical treatment to reduce the risk of permanent damage to your child’s vision.
Corneal Abrasions
A corneal abrasion, or a scratch on the eye’s cornea (the protective covering over the iris and pupil) is caused when a foreign object is trapped beneath the eyelid, explains WebMD. In many cases, you can treat the injury by flushing the eye with clean water or saline solution once or twice, but make sure your child doesn’t rub their eye.
If you child experiences significant pain, sensitivity to light, or a foreign object hits their eye at high speed or force, you should seek emergency medical attention, advises WebMD.
Eye Swelling
A blow to the eye can result in a swollen eyelid and swelling around the eye. All About Vision recommends treating the injury as soon as possible with an ice pack, and later, visiting an eye doctor to ensure there’s no internal damage.
Eye Bleeding
Also known as a sub-conjunctival hemorrhage, eye bleeding occurs when a blood vessel between the sclera and conjunctiva breaks, leading to redness in the white of the eye. The injury is painless and shouldn’t cause any vision loss. After several weeks, the eye will return to normal without treatment.
If your child plays a lot of sports or is often outdoors, protective eyewear is essential for their eye safety. At the beach, sunglasses with UV protection can help shield eyes from sand and reduce the chance of an injury. Check out our range of protective sunglasses for children in the Real Kids’ collection.