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What Precautions Can Protect the Eye?

Your eyes might not be the windows to your soul, but they do give you the very important sense of sight which helps you navigate through obstacles. Your eyelids and lashes provide some built-in protection, as do your blinking reflexes which stop small bugs or dirt from getting into our eyes. But in today's modern world there are many activities and environments that pose serious threats to your eyes. Taking adequate precautions could save your eyesight.

  1. Sunglasses

    • Sun exposure damages not only the skin, but also the eyes. Cataracts form as people age, though wearing sunglasses can protect your eyes from long term damage. For those people who drive long distance or spend most of their day on the road, protection from the sun and glare is essential. Sunglasses should have polycarbonate lenses and offer not only UV protection, but also be anti-reflective to minimize glare. In addition, glasses offer protection to drivers' and passengers' eyes from injuries that can occur if a car is in an accident and releases the airbag.

    Goggles and Safety Glasses

    • Using the right eye protection in the workplace is one of the most effective precautions to take when protecting the eyes. Be sure to wear the proper eye protection specific to the type of hazardous activity. For example, electricians are exposed to flying nails and metal as well as electrical sparks that can cut or burn the eye. People in this line of work should wear safety glasses that have side shields to protect them against flying particles as well as a face shield to protect the eyes from arc flash which may occur.

    Infectious Eye Diseases

    • In the medical field doctors and nurses as well as janitors and other hospital workers can be exposed to infectious diseases. These diseases can get into the body through the eyes' mucous membranes when blood sprays in an operating theater or through someone's coughing. Even touching surfaces that have been exposed to the bacteria or virus and then touching your eyes can make diseases enter the body. The infections resulting from this exposure can present scratchy, red and painful eyes as the membranes become infected. In more serious cases it can lead to contracting hepatitis B or the flu virus. Protecting the eyes in this instance means protecting the rest of your body as well. Wear goggles and face shields in this environment.

    Seatbelts and Protective Headgear

    • At first glance you might not see why a seatbelt can offer your eyes protection from injury in an accident. However, the seatbelt keeps your head and eyes from connecting with the windscreen and the jagged bits of glass that form if a body is thrown through the windscreen from the impact of the accident. Similarly, wearing protective eye and head gear when playing sports is vital. Countless eye injuries occur from rackets, squash balls or even accidentally running into an opponent's elbow. Vision is processed by the visual cortex in the occipital lobe, so protecting the head and brain is also vital to protection sight.

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