How to Lower Your Child's Risk of Eye Injuries

Any injury to your child’s eye should be considered an emergency, and you must seek immediate care from your Calgary eye doctor. Here are some of the signs of eye emergencies to watch out for and some simple steps you can take to protect your child’s vision.

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Eye injuries and emergencies can happen at any time, anywhere, especially to young and highly active children. Some of the most recurrent eye injuries occur due to causes such as:

• Playing sports such as hockey, basketball, baseball, darts, and boxing.
• Chemicals
• Toys including BB guns, toy swords, and bright flashlights
• Fingernails

If your child has sustained any injury to their eye, then it should be considered an eye emergency and you must contact your Calgary eye doctor immediately. Doing so will ensure that any loss of vision is prevented.

Our Calgary Eye Doctors Are Now Open Again

Our eye doctors are available to provide eye care by appointment only. We are also providing telehealth services, which includes virtual/phone consultations and delivery of contact lenses, eye drops, and other eye care essentials.

TELEHEALTH AND EMERGENCY EYE CARE SERVICES AT OUR CALGARY EYE CLINIC

Types of Eye Injuries Your Child Might Sustain

There are several different types of eye injuries that your kid might sustain which will require attention from your Calgary eye doctor immediately. Some of these include:

1. Corneal Abrasions: This is a scratch or injury to the cornea and is a very common occurrence in children. There are many things that can cause a corneal scratch including a toy, fingernail, or foreign body in the eye.
2. Chemical Burns: This occurs when your child gets chemicals in his/her eye. This is a medical emergency and your kid should receive immediate attention from your eye doctor because chemical burns can result in loss of vision if not treated promptly.
3. Eyelid Lacerations: These are cuts caused to the eyelid and your optometrist may want to examine the eye more closely to make sure that there is no damage to the eye itself.
4. Bruised Eye: More commonly known as black eye, this often occurs from an injury to the eye that has caused the tissue around it to become bruised. Your eye doctor will examine the eye more closely to make sure there is no damage to the eye.

What Are The Symptoms of Eye Injuries?

As a parent, it’s important to be aware of, and watch out for, any signs of eye injuries your child might have. Such symptoms could include:

• Eye pain
• Changes in the shape of the iris or pupil
• Blood in the eyeball
• Double vision, reduced vision, or loss of vision
• Unusual discharge from the eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Problems focusing
• Excess tears

Note: Even if you are unaware that any injury or trauma has occurred, the above symptoms are all red flags that must be taken very seriously. If your kid is suffering from any of the above, call our Calgary eye doctor for urgent assistance.

How to Protect Your Child’s Eyes

While it’s true that an eye injury could happen unexpectedly, there are certain steps you can take to help protect your child’s vision and lower their risk of experiencing a serious eye emergency.

Eye Safety At Home

• Make sure your home furniture has no sharp edges, or that these edges are covered up.
• Install lighting and handrails to improve safety on stairs.
• Don’t use hazardous solvents and detergents around your child.
• Wash your hands after using household chemicals.
• Avoid using spray nozzles around your child’s face.
• Keep children away when using a lawn mower, because debris could fly through the air.
• Use guards on all power equipment.
• Keep all dangerous cleaning supplies out of reach from children.
• Keep pesticides, fertilizers, and paints in a secure area.

6 TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD’S EYES DURING COVID-19

Eye Safety Outdoors and While Playing

• Make sure your child wears sunglasses that protect from UV rays while outside.
• Teach your child to NEVER look directly at the sun.
• Buy toys that are right for your child’s age and activity level.
• Supervise your child during activities that require sharp objects.
• Make sure your child wears safety goggles during high impact sports.
• Keep children away from fireworks.
• Do not allow young children to play with toys that shoot pellets, arrows, or other projectiles. For older kids, make sure they wear protective eyewear when doing so.

4 TOYS THAT POSE A HIGH RISK OF EYE INJURY

Eye Safety For Teens Who Wear Makeup

Make sure to talk with your teen about choosing and applying skin care products and makeup safely to avoid eye emergencies. Some tips include:

• Choose unscented and allergy-safe products.
• Avoid using glitter or shimmering eye shadow or liner as this could scratch the eye.
• Don’t use loose powder on the face.
• Never apply cream too close to the eyes.
• Don’t apply makeup when walking, talking, or driving.
• Avoid applying eyeliner to the inner edge of the top or bottom eyelids.
• Never lend or borrow eye makeup.
• Wash eye makeup brushes regularly and never use expired products.
• Don’t apply makeup if your eye is red, swollen, or infected.

Eye Safety Tips For Children Who Wear Contact Lenses

Wearing contact lenses is very safe and beneficial for children, but you must talk to them about how to avoid eye infection and injury from contact lens use. This includes:

• Washing hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before handling contact lenses.
• Removing lenses and cleaning them as often as required.
• Not exposing eyes to water (eg. swimming or showers) while wearing contact lenses.
• Applying makeup after inserting contact lenses, not before.

ARE CONTACT LENSES A GOOD OPTION FOR MY CHILD?

Our Calgary Eye Doctors Can Protect Your Family’s Vision Through COVID-19

Our Calgary eye clinic is open again to serve you. Our telehealth services include virtual consultations, as well as delivery of contact lenses, eye drops, and other eye care essentials.

If you have questions or concerns about your eye health, contact us at sunridgeeyeclinic@gmail.com or give us a call at 403-280-7518.