Should you wear protective eyewear?

There are many sports that we play in which we don’t think about wearing protective eyewear. Some examples are: pickleball, soccer, racquetball, handball, etc. Along with sports, there are other cases in which we should consider wearing protective eyewear. When working with hazardous chemicals, in a workshop with flying objects or particles or even when painting your house, you should think about protecting your eyesight.

Eye Problems Related to Injury or Trauma

Just like any part of the body, the eyes can be vulnerable to a multitude of injuries or damage. Some examples of actual eye emergencies include cuts, scratches, objects in the eye, burns, chemical exposure and blunt injuries to the eye or eyelid.

Additionally, here are some symptoms that can signify eye trauma or disease that should be treated as an emergency:

• Sudden, painless vision loss (which might be preceded by episodes of transient vision loss, headache or jaw claudication)
• Severe pain, coupled with vision loss, inability to open eyelids and proptosis
• Vision loss with pain and potentially a gush of fluid from the eyes
• Moderate-to-severe eye pain, acute contact lens intolerance and decreased vision
• Painful eye(s) with nausea and vomiting

Unfortunately, there aren’t a few simple best practices to use whenever there’s an eye emergency, because the cause, effect and complications can all differ so greatly.

Although pain in - or damage to - the eyes and other uncomfortable symptoms might sometimes be minor, it’s best to be proactive and protect your eyesight with eyewear.

Interested in learning more about our special protective eyewear for a multitude of different circumstances, or ready to schedule an exam? Give us a call!