Leading Causes of Eye Injuries

Traumatic eye injuries happen every day in the Lehigh Valley. We diagnose and treat those who fall victim to accidents or who intentionally engaged in activities that put their vision at risk. Many of these situations shouldn’t have happened and the harm was preventable if people thought about protecting their sight. According to WebMD, these are the most common causes injuries that could threaten or cause vision loss. The eye is physically struck by an object. This could be by a baseball, stone, fist or other object injuring the eye, eyelid, muscles or bones surrounding the eye. A mild injury can cause swelling or a black eye. There also may be bleeding inside the eye. With a hard enough strike the bones around your eye could break. Eye muscles could become trapped inside a broken bone requiring surgery to correct the problem. Cut, scratch or abrasion. An object can get into your eye, scratching the cornea, the dome-like cover over the eye. A scratch can cause blurriness, sensitivity to light, pain, redness and excess tears. Smaller scratches should heal by themselves, deeper cuts can cause chronic vision problems. Object in the eye This could be sand, dirt, wood fragments, metal shavings or slivers and pieces of glass. These sharp objects could scratch or cut your cornea. It may cause discomfort and make your eye tear. If it’s serious you may feel like there’s something in your eye you can’t get out. Chemical burns Some chemicals can seriously burn your eyes. Some of the most hazardous are alkalis, which include oven or drain cleaners and fertilizers. Harm can happen very quickly and potentially cause blindness. Other materials to be wary of are bleach and swimming pool chemicals as well as chemical vapors. How much damage is caused depends on the chemical involved, the duration of the exposure and how deep it went into the eye. If you suffer a chemical burn to your eyes, flush them with cool water for at least 15 minutes then call our office at 610-437-4988. Sun exposure Ultraviolet, or UV, rays can burn your eyes, just like they can cause sun burn of your skin. Indications you’ve gotten too much UV radiation include red eyes, sensitivity to light, your eyes tear, and a sensation like something is in your eyes. Prolonged, excessive sun exposure to your eyes over time can cause cataracts and macular degeneration. When to give us a call You should be able to take care of minor eye injuries. If it’s more serious you need medical help. Symptoms to watch out for include,
  • Vision change,
  • Swollen eye,
  • Double vision,
  • Severe pain,
  • A cut eyelid,
  • Pain around your eye and brow, and,
When to call for an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department Take immediate action if,
  • A piece of metal, glass, or an object is lodged in your eye, or,
  • A chemical got into your eye and flushing it with water hasn’t stopped the pain.
Don’t take your eyesight for granted. If you have suffered a serious injury that may threaten your sight, contact us. Houman Ahdieh, MD Lehigh Valley Center for Sight https://www.lvcenter4sight.com eyedoc@lvcenter4sight.com

https://www.lvcenter4sight.com/leading-causes-of-eye-injuries/

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