Children are at risk for eye injuries during all sorts of daily activities, including when playing in sports and games, making crafts, and helping out at home. As thousands of accidents happen every year, some leading to permanent blindness, it is essential that you take the necessary steps toward preventing eye injuries in kids. Eye Smart offers the following basic tips.
How to Prevent Eye Injuries
- Supervise children whenever they are using items that are common causes of eye injuries, including pencils, scissors, paperclips, rubber bands, and wire coat hangers.
- Only allow children to play with toys appropriate for their age, and never allow children of any age to play with projectile toys, such as bows and arrows, darts, and toys that shoot missiles. You can find out if a toy is safe by checking if it is marked “ASTM,” which means it meets the American Society for Testing and Materials standards.
- Keep hazardous materials, like household cleaners, chemicals, and sprays, in a locked cabinet away from children.
- Never allow children near fireworks. Bottle rockets, now outlawed in several states, are particularly dangerous.
- Always secure young children in child safety seats and infants in baby carriers when in the car. Never let kids under the age of 12 ride in the front passenger seat.
What To Do If You Child Suffers an Injury
If your child injures an eye, you must seek immediate medical attention, however minor the injury. Before seeing your doctor, remember that you should never touch the eye yourself, or let your child touch the eye, but gently cover the eye if it is scratched or punctured. Only try to remove a foreign object through blinking. If your child has a chemical in the eye, wash it out with water, but never apply ointment or medication without a prescription.
For outdoor activities and sports, sunglasses with polycarbonate lenses are the best way to protect your kids’ eyes. All the shades in the Real Kids collection feature shatterproof lenses and impact-resistant frames. Check out our range of styles to find a pair online.