At a Glance:
- Around 30% of eye injuries occur in a domestic setting
- The most common forms of household eye injury are chemical burns, penetrating eye injuries and small particles and irritants entering the eye
- Many household products contain chemicals that can cause burns to the eyes
- DIY projects, hobbies and gardening are leading causes of penetrating eye injuries
- Up to 90% of eye injuries can be avoided by wearing appropriate eye protection
JulEye is an annual eye health awareness event run by the Australian and New Zealand Eye Foundation (ANZEF), the charitable arm of RANZCO (the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists). JulEye 2020 is dedicated to raising community awareness of eye health and the causes and consequences of common household eye injuries.
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a number of people (those lucky though to have kept their jobs) to work from home, and due to the lockdown, many people have also taken up new hobbies or projects, many of which can potentially put you at risk of ocular trauma.
Around 30% of all eye injuries happen around the home, and with the increased number of people confined to a domestic setting (both voluntarily and involuntarily), the number of people with eye injuries appears to have risen. There is no concrete data in Australia as yet, but anecdotal evidence from the UK indicates a steep rise in domestic eye injuries due to DIY projects.
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Common Household Eye Injuries
The most common eye injuries that happen in a domestic setting fall into three categories; chemical burns, penetrating eye injuries and small particles and irritants. In addition to damaging the eye, eye injuries can also become infected, leading to further damage, vision impairment and blindness.
Chemical Burns
When spraying or splashing chemicals, it’s all too easy to get some in your eyes. It can happen spraying pesticide or liquid fertiliser on your garden, when you’re using cleaning products around the house, or working on a car in the garage. A number of chemicals may burn or sting if they get in your eyes but cause no long lasting damage. Others, however, can cause severe eye injuries.
Alkaline chemicals can cause severe damage thanks to the way that alkaline substances interact with the eye. Alkaline chemicals can break down the cells of the eye, burning into the cornea and often softening the tissue of the eye, not only damaging the eye but weakening it as well, making it more susceptible to problems such as cataract and glaucoma.
Household products containing alkaline chemicals include:
- Chlorine Bleach
- Cleaning products (ammonia)
- Drain cleaners (lye)
- Fertilisers
- Oven cleaners
- Plaster or cement (lime)
Acidic chemicals can cause burns, but these injuries are less severe than alkaline burns thanks to the fact that they can be fairly easily flushed from the eye, and the eye itself can form proteins to protect from damage. Products containing hydrofluoric acid are the exception to this rule and can cause damage to the eye as severe as alkaline substances.
Household products that contain acidic chemicals include:
- Battery Acid
- Glass polish (hydrofluoric acid)
- Nail polish remover (acetic acid)
- Paint thinner
- Vinegar
Severe acidic and alkaline chemical burns in the eye can cause a change in vision, even vision loss.
Penetrating Eye Injuries
A penetrating eye injury occurs when a foreign body (often referred to as an Intraocular Foreign Body or IOFB) enters or lacerates the eye. Penetrating eye injuries can have severe and long lasting effects. These include conjunctival and corneal lacerations, retinal scarring, vitreous haemorrhage (bleeding into the eye, causing changes in vision and potential vision loss), retinal tears or detachment and scarring that can lead to cataracts and glaucoma.
In adults, penetrating injuries to the eye are often caused by sharp pieces of wood, stone, metal, glass or other material kicked up by power tools, lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, or even simple accidents. Penetrating eye injuries in children are often caused by accidents when playing with others (including sports) or handling things like rubber bands, pencils (and other sharp objects such as sticks or nails) or playing with toys.
Causes of intraocular foreign body penetrating eye injuries include:
- Accident
- Explosions
- Insect stings
- Lawnmowers, hedge trimmers and other powered gardening equipment
- Physical assault
- Using power tools
- Working metal, wood or stone
Small Particles and Irritants
Even if a foreign object in the eye isn’t big enough to cause serious damage through a penetrating eye injury, having small particles or irritants in your eyes can still be debilitating as well as potentially dangerous.
Depending on the irritant in your eye, the severity of symptoms can vary wildly - an eyelash in your eye can cause discomfort and irritation, but this is usually only for a short period of time and they can be easily removed. Tiny shards of glass or silica dust (from concrete) can be extremely painful and have long lasting negative effects, including scratches or lacerations to the eye, scarring and even vision loss.
Symptoms of particles or irritants in the eye include:
- Bloodshot or red eyes (subconjunctival haemorrhage - bleeding into the white of the eye)
- Blurred vision in the affected eye
- Burning and irritation
- Excessive blinking
- Excessive tearing
- Light sensitivity
- Scratchy feeling when blinking or moving the eye
Common causes of irritation of small particles in the eye include:
- Blown dust
- Cosmetics (eyeliner and mascara especially)
- Dirt
- Dried mucus (from sleep)
- Eyelashes
- Glass
- Metal shavings or dust
- Sand
- Sawdust or wood shavings
- Smoke
Care For Eye Injuries
Depending on the nature and cause of the eye injury, different methods of care are recommended. In most cases, seeing a doctor or optometrist as soon as possible, if not immediately is vital when it comes to minimising damage or long term negative effects.
Care For Chemical Burns
Any time a chemical comes in contact with your eye, flushing that eye with running water is an important first step and one of the best ways to limit the damage caused by chemical burns. Proper flushing requires holding your eye under running water for at least 15 minutes, holding the lids open once you’ve made sure there are no chemicals on your fingers.
As the level of pain or severity of symptoms you may be experiencing don’t necessarily collate with the seriousness of the injury - alkaline burns typically have fever initial outward symptoms than acid burns - seeing a doctor or optometrist immediately is vital.
You should not try to drive yourself to a doctor, so if you are with a friend or family member get them to drive you, or failing that call an ambulance. Continue irrigating your eye until the ambulance arrives or the car is ready to go.
Care For Penetrating Eye Injuries
If you or someone you are with gets something lodged in their eye, do not rub the eye or attempt to remove the foreign body. Doing either can exacerbate damage. If possible the eye should be covered by a light dressing before immediately seeking medical attention.
No pressure should be placed on the eye, so using something like a paper cup under the dressing can help. You should try to keep the eye as still as possible to limit pain and damage.
Do not try and drive yourself to a hospital or doctor. Either have a friend drive you or call an ambulance.
After the foreign body is removed, in many cases you will be required to wear an eye patch or dressing to allow the eye a chance to heal. You should not drive while wearing a patch.
Care For Small Particles or Irritants in the Eye
Many small particles or irritants only cause minor discomfort. Eyelashes and dust can be easily removed without worry, but some other particles or irritants may need to be removed by a medical professional. If the particles feel sharp or rough, enter your eye at high speed, are large enough to make it difficult to close your eyes or are causing bleeding then a visit to a medical professional (either a GP or eye doctor) is called for.
Much like with penetrating eye injuries, people with foreign bodies in their eyes should avoid rubbing them, try and keep the eye as still as possible and refrain from trying to remove the irritant (other than eyelashes and other such common irritants) while seeking medical attention.
Avoiding Eye Injury
There are a few steps you can take to avoid eye injuries, including holding sharp objects point down while walking, but the most important, and effective, is wearing protective eyewear appropriate to the situation. Goggles and protective glasses can be bought in hardware shops or gardening stores alongside tool and gardening equipment. If you already wear glasses, many optometrists can provide you with prescription safety glasses (which are made up with your personalised prescription). This means you don’t have to compromise between safety and good vision.
Safety glasses with side shields are recommended for any time you may be exposed to flying particles or objects (using power tools, mowing, etc). Safety goggles should be worn when working with chemicals. Up to 90% of eye injuries can be avoided by wearing appropriate eye protection. And safety glasses are only as good as how they fit you. Be sure to choose the right style and fit for your face. Poorly fitted safety glasses won’t offer you the best protection.
If you’re concerned about your eye safety or other eye health issues, wearing eye protection is the easiest way to protect your eyes. For other issues regarding eye care, the easiest way to find and book an appointment with an optometrist is to do it online with MyHealth1st.