It’s hard to avoid places where we are not vulnerable to injury. This is especially true about our eyes. Because our eyes are extremely sensitive to physical contact, and trauma can certainly pose a great risk to our eyesight, we must protect our eyes.
While the everyday person may not need to worry about extreme eye protection, a person finding themselves in an active environment may need to take extra precautions to avoid potential eye threatening injury and exposed.
For example, if you are someone who works in a very hands-on field, such as manufacturing or construction, your eyes are constantly at risk for injury.
Likewise, if you are an athlete, from students to professionals, your eyes are at risk from physical injury from other players, or even accidents that cause a collision with the object they may render you blind or vision impaired.
These may be worse-case scenarios; however, protecting your eyes from active environments is crucial. Here are two key steps to protecting your eyes in the workplace, sports, and other active environments where your eyes may be at risk.
Identify Potential Risks
The first step to protecting your eyes is being able to identify what risks are associated with what you are doing. Whether it be a new activity or a new workplace, be sure to spot and recall the risk factors. These typically include:
- Debris: Look for dust, wood, and other surfaces where particles can easily come into contact if you meet the surface. Additionally, debris can go airborne, making your eye susceptible.
- Chemicals: Liquids that can cause human harm upon contact.
- Light: Intense light from radiation, heat, or other substances can damage eye tissue. Even those who work on a computer for 10+ hours a day should take some precaution to avoid eye strain from screen lights.
- Potential Trauma: Other people can often be to blame for damaging eyes. Human error also accounts for trauma, where mistakes can cause a collision with objects and other people.
Wear Safety Glasses
While they may not be the most stylish, safety glasses can both prevent trauma and tissue damage to the eyes. Physically, certain glasses protect against the elements, such as debris, chemicals, and even intense weather, like extreme cold and winds.
Other safety glasses are designed to filter out the intense light. These lights range from the blue light emitted by common devices to the intense lights produced in welding and mechanical professions.
In addition to goggles and safety glasses, face shield, helmets, and other special forms of protection may be needed to produce the level of protection needed to keep your eyes safe when working or playing your favorite sport.
If you do encounter eye trauma or injury in these activities, contact a health professional immediately. If you have more questions about how to protect your eyes, don’t hesitate to reach out to us, your eye care specialists, and we will be happy to evaluate your situations and recommend eyewear, eye protection, or preventative care options to get your vision aligned with your lifestyle. Contact us today.
