Your eyes sit firmly and carefully guarded on your face in such a way as to be protected from most injuries. Nevertheless, accidents happen. An eye injury can occur suddenly and you are threatened with severe damage to your eye. You may even face the threat of losing your vision. This can happen anywhere, anytime and anyplace, including Grand Rapids Michigan. When it does, you need to address the situation immediately by seeing a specialist in the field.
Common Eye Injuries
Eye injuries occur from a number of sources. They may be work-related. Certain industrial jobs involve a variety of materials that can cause damage to the eye. Welders, finishers, wood workers and other similar employment may cause an eye issue. Though eye protection is a requisite garment, accidents may and do occur.
Chemicals always present a potential danger to the eye. Eye injuries can result from the splashing of a chemical that can irritate the surface of the eye. Heat is also another potential risk to causing eye damage. Sports and various hobbies also have the potential to cause eye injuries. Even wearing contact lenses can increase the risk of damage to the eye occurring.
The most common type of harm happens when something irritates the outer surface of your eye. Certain jobs such as industrial jobs or hobbies such as carpentry make this type of eye injury more likely. It is also more likely if you wear contact lenses.
Common eye injuries resulting from these and other issues, including blunt force trauma from fists and other flying or wielded objects include:
- Scratches to the eye – particularly the cornea
- Chemical splashes
- Sharp trauma resulting laceration of the eye, eyelid, and related parts
- Laceration of the eyeball
- Deep puncture wounds
Depending upon the degree of injury, your eye doctor may recommend anything from simply wearing a patch for a few days to surgery designed to repair the problem and prevent vision loss.
One important factor to remember – if you suffer any trauma or other form of damage to your eyelid, it may also have an impact upon your eye. Be sure to make an appointment with your doctor, who may recommend you to a specialist in the field an ophthalmologist.
Guarding against an Eye Injury
Eye injuries can happen to anyone. They can have very serious consequences. To protect your vision at work and play in Grand Rapids, make sure you wear the recommended safety devices, including special eyewear. While no measure is completely fail proof, these devices, together with common sense are the best means of protecting you from receiving a preventable eye injury.