Eye injuries don’t only happen in high-risk work environments. They can also occur unexpectedly at home when your guard is down. Everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, or even home improvement projects can pose serious risks to your eye health. From chemical splashes and debris to physical trauma, it’s crucial to stay aware of your surroundings and take preventive measures to protect your vision. If an eye injury happens at home, immediate action is essential to prevent long-term damage. Contact an eye doctor in Vaughan, like Dr. Brian Abrams, a trusted specialist for emergency eye care. If you’re unable to reach a specialist right away, head to the nearest hospital for urgent medical attention.
Here are some common home-based eye injuries and tips on how to avoid them to keep your eyes and overall health safe.
Chemical Splashes
Cleaning supplies are one of the most frequent culprits for eye injuries at home. Standard household products like bleach, ammonia, and other disinfectants can cause severe irritation or even chemical burns if they splash into your eyes. Even personal care products such as hair spray and cosmetics can lead to painful eye reactions if not used carefully. Chemicals can rapidly damage the cornea or conjunctiva, leading to pain, redness, and vision problems. If your eyes have come into contact with a harmful chemical at home, flush your eyes and contact your local eye doctor in Vaughan.
To prevent eye emergencies at home, always wear protective eyewear when handling chemicals and household cleaners. Whenever possible, choose products with safer formulations and avoid using strong chemicals near your face.
Makeup and Cosmetics
Because many cosmetic products are used in close proximity to the eye, they can sometimes come too close and compromise your health. Products like mascara can collect bacteria from the skin, which festers in the closed bottle and results in infections and irritation on your next use. Other makeup products like eyeliners, shadows, lash curlers and more can scratch the surface of the eye and cause other types of damage. An eye infection from contained makeup can look like persistent redness, irritation, swelling, and even pus around the eye. If you are experiencing these symptoms, don’t hesitate to visit Dr. Brain Abrams in Vaughan for emergency eye care.
Foreign Objects and Debris
Small particles during home projects or outdoor activities can pose a risk to your eye health when airborne. Tasks like drilling, sanding, or yard work can cause dust, metal shards, or sawdust to fly into the air and potentially into your eyes. Even something as simple as dirt or tiny insects can lead to eye irritation, scratching, or infections, requiring emergency eye care.
Safety goggles during DIY, maintenance, and other home projects are key to preventing damage to your cornea and the entirety of your eye, especially when your environment is likely to produce airborne particles.
Blunt Trauma
Bumps, hits, knocks and other accidents happen at home more often than we may realize. Physical trauma to the eye can lead to black eyes, internal bleeding, and even retinal detachment can occur if the contact is severe enough. Sometimes accidents that result in blunt force trauma are inevitable, but it helps to keep any eye out for hazards. If you have been hit or poked in the eye, or if you notice changes to your eyesight from getting hit in the head, reach out to Dr. Brian Abrams. As an experienced eye doctor in Vaughan, Dr. Abrams can help you understand what your symptoms mean and can prescribe treatments to help you get better.
Cooking Hazards
The kitchen is another high-risk area for eye injuries. Hot oil, steam hot cookware, and spicy/acidic foods can all lead to painful irritation or injury. Protect your eyes and mitigate the need for emergency eye care by using lids when cooking with hot oil or liquids, turning pot handles inward to prevent spills, and wearing gloves or frequently washing your hands.
Children and Playtime
Children don’t know their own strength. They are naturally curious and can unintentionally cause harm to themselves or others while playing. Toys with sharp edges or those that shoot projectiles, like toy guns, pose a risk of eye injury. Additionally, siblings or friends may accidentally hit each other in the face during rough play. If your child has sustained an injury to their eye, contact Dr. Brian Abrams, a kids eye doctor in Vaughan. We will carefully and gently assess and treat the affected area.
Protect Your Eye Health with Emergency Eye Care in Vaughan
Eye emergencies can occur when you least expect it. If you experience persistent pain, vision changes, bleeding in the eye, long-lasting swelling, blurry vision, flashes, or floaters, seek treatment as soon as possible from the experienced and local eye doctor in Vaughan, Dr. Brian Abrams for reliable and comprehensive care.
