Eye Injuries (Part II)

Traumatic iritis is inflammation of the colored part of the eye that surrounds the pupil (iris) and occurs after an eye injury. Traumatic iritis can be caused by a poke in the eye or a blow to the eye from a blunt object, such as a ball or a hand.

When the iris is injured, it becomes inflamed, and when the inside of the eye is inflamed, the body rushes white blood cells to the area to mend the problem and speed up healing.

The inflamed cells make it very sticky inside the eye; it may cause part of the iris or other parts of the eye to stick together, causing further damage. Also, the fluid in the front part of the eye, the aqueous humor, can fill with inflammatory cells and sometimes pigment or blood from the trauma, causing it to thicken. The thickened liquid may not be filtered out of the eye fast enough, causing eye pressure to rise to dangerous levels. On the contrary, sometimes the ciliary body is also traumatized, causing reduced eye pressure. Although this usually doesn’t lower eye pressure to dangerous levels, it is something that eye doctors pay close attention to.

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Traumatic iritis usually requires treatment. Even with medical treatment, there is a risk of permanent decreased vision.

Seek help from a doctor right away if you experience the following after 2-3 days you got hit.

·       eye ache or pain

·       sensitivity and pain when exposed to light

·       blurry vision

·       tearing

·       redness

What to do generally if you encounter eye injuries?

If you have any eye injury, contact your eye care practitioner immediately for advice.

In certain extreme situations such as a penetrating eye injury or an eye knocked out of the socket, it may be better to get to the hospital immediately without taking the time to try calling anyone.

Once you are in the care of a doctor, be sure to mention if you wear contact lenses so you can be advised whether to leave them in or remove them.

Depending on the type of eye injury, the doctor may want you to flush your eye with water or saline solution. In more serious situations, you may need surgery.

Treat all eye injuries as potential emergencies, and never hesitate to contact or see an eye doctor immediately.

Don't take risks with your eyesight. Remember, you have only one pair of eyes. Wear safety glasses to protect yourself.

You can check out the safety eyewear at http://www.estore.com.sg/safety-eyewear-c-173.html 

Eye Injuries (Part I)

Ho ho ho!

This is part I of the discussion about some common eye injuries that may occur during work or even at home. Do not ever underestimate these minor injuries as they can lead to very serious consequences or even blindness.

CORNEAL ABRASIONS  

The common causes of abrasions to the eye's surface (corneal abrasions) are getting poked in the eye or rubbing the eye when a foreign body is present, such as dust or sand. Corneal abrasions are very uncomfortable and cause eye redness and severe sensitivity to light.

Scratches make your eye susceptible to infection from bacteria or a fungus. Certain types of bacteria and fungi can enter the eye through a scratch and cause serious harm just within 24 hours. Blindness may even occur if whatever scratched your eye is dirty or contaminated.

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Remedies

If you have a scratched eye, don't rub it. And don't patch your eye, either. Bacteria like dark, warm places to grow, and a patch might provide the ideal environment. Simply keep the eye closed or loosely tape a paper cup or eye shield over it. See your doctor as soon as possible to check out this type of eye injury.

Penetrating or Foreign Objects in the Eye

Your eye also may have corneal foreign bodies that are small, sharp pieces of a substance, usually metal, that have become embedded in the eye's surface (cornea), but have not penetrated into the interior of the eye.

Metal foreign bodies can quickly form a rust ring and a significant scar. Your eye doctor should remove these foreign bodies as soon as possible.

Remedies

Whenever a foreign object penetrates your eye, visit the emergency room/urgent care center immediately. Don’t attempt to remedy yourself because it may cause more injuries if you rub your eyes or remove the object yourself.

If possible, try loosely taping a paper cup or eye shield over your eye for protection; then seek help.

Stay tuned for the next installment of eye injuries and what to do when encountering eye injuries in general (:

Intro to Safety Eyewear

Safety eyewear #1

Hello everyone! Welcome to the first installment of the introduction to safety glasses. I know some of you might find it redundant to wear safety glasses and like duh, some of these glasses are just so uncomfortable

However, did you know most eye injuries and blindness are a result of deprived protection to the eye? I cannot emphasize how important it is to wear safety glasses. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE PAIR OF EYES!!

Safety glasses are usually made with shatter-resistant plastic lenses to protect the eye from flying debris. The safety lenses may be constructed from a variety of materials of various impact resistance, and usually maintain a minimum 1 millimeter thickness at the thinnest point, regardless of material. The level of protection they provide may vary.

Wearing glasses? Fret not.

Some safety glasses are designed to fit over normal glasses or sunglasses. They may provide less eye protection than goggles or other forms of eye protection, but their lightweight increases the likelihood that they will actually be used. Modern safety glasses tend to be given a more stylish design in order to encourage their use.

This on the left (KY213) has universal soft nose pads to provide ultimate comfort. Its lenses are made of high impact resistant polycarbonate lenses and armed with anti scratch high coating to protect your eyes from any debris of small pieces of wood and metal flying into your eyes. It’s also available in clear, amber, smoke and silver lenses.

This chic and sunglass design (KY733) is really cool, I thought. It’s super lightweight and has adjustable nose pads. It can even block out 99.9% of UV radiation, adding even more protection for your eyes. You can wear it as a pair of normal sunglasses as well!

Now this (KY8813A) is my personal favourite. It’s rimless and sporty with soft and comfortable temple pads to provide maximum comfort. It only weighs 24g, as though you aren’t wearing anything at all!

Whatever it is, please, please, please, put on safety glasses whenever necessary. It’s really affordable and you could easily get them at http://www.estore.com.sg/safety-eyewear-c-173.html

Stay tuned for the upcoming post as we discuss some common eye injuries and their remedies.