Workplace Eye Injuries

Common causes of eye injuries at work include chemicals, eye strain from digital devices, tools, harmful radiation, chemicals, and flying debris like glass or metal bits. Not wearing any eye protection and wearing ill-fitting or improper safety eyewear are the main culprits behind most eye injuries at work.

And for those working in an office setting, excessive use of smart devices, laptops, and computers can lead to digital eye strain.

Myth: All eye doctors are the same.

Ophthalmologists, optometrists and opticians each play an important role in eye care. But their levels of training and expertise are quite different from each other.

An ophthalmologist is a medical school graduate with at least 12 years of training, including 4 years of college and at least 8 years of post-graduate medical training. Ophthalmologists are the only eye care providers worldwide who are licensed to practice both medicine and surgery and are also involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders.

An optometrist completes at least 3 years of college and 4 years of optometry training, and is licensed to do eye exams and vision tests, prescribe and disperse corrective lenses, detect certain eye abnormalities and prescribe medicine for some eye diseases.

An optician is a professional who prepares, measures and adapts the fit of eyeglass or contact prescriptions written by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Though an optician is not an eye doctor, they do complete a 2-year degree in opticianry, or a 6,000-hour apprenticeship.

Workplace Eye Wellness Month

If an eye injury does occur while you’re on the job, see your ophthalmologist at Clarity Eye Center or go to the emergency room, even if you don’t think the injury is serious. Postponing medical attention could result in permanent vision loss or blindness.

And in the event of any eye injury—at work —here are some steps to follow until you can see your ophthalmologist.

• If your eye is cut or punctured:
  • DO NOT: Remove any object that may be stuck in eye, rub your eye, rinse with water, or apply pressure to eye. Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs as they may increase bleeding.
  • DO: Gently place a temporary shield over the eye. You can fashion a makeshift eye patch by taping the bottom of a paper cup to the area around your eye until you get medical attention.
• If you get chemicals in your eye:
  • DO: Immediately flush the eye with plenty of clean water and seek medical treatment immediately.
• If you receive a blow to the eye:
  • DO NOT apply any pressure.
  • DO gently apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling. If a black eye, pain or visual disturbance occurs even after a light blow, immediately contact an ophthalmologist to rule out or prevent the progression of a significant eye injury.
• If you get sand or small particles in the eye:
  • DO NOT rub the eye or try to remove the debris with your fingers.
  • DO flush the eye out with plenty of water. If the debris doesn’t come out, lightly bandage the eye and seek medical attention.

If you do have an eye injury, do not hesitate to contact us at Clarity Eye Center and request an emergency appointment. It’s important that you are seen as soon as possible to prevent any lasting damage or vision loss.

Workplace Eye Safety

Over 2,000 eye injuries occur each day on job sites across the U.S. and one in ten of those injuries required missed days of work to recover. Of the total amount of work-related eye injuries that occur, 10 to 20 percent will cause temporary or permanent vision loss. While many think that eye injuries only occur in construction, trade or manufacturing jobs, nearly 40% of work-related eye injuries happen in healthcare facilities, offices, laboratories and other similar work environments. Safety experts and eye care providers agree that the right eye protection could have lessened the severity of these injuries or even prevented 90% of them.

Another Great Review:

Clarity Eye Center Treats Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) With TEPEZZA

What is TEPEZZA?

It’s a prescription medicine used to treat Thyroid Eye Disease.  Unlike other medications you may have tried, TEPEZZA treats Thyroid Eye Disease at the source, not just the symptoms.

A TED Eye Specialist has special tools to perform a TED eye exam to measure and track changes to your eyes over time.  Here, at Clarity Eye Center, all 3 of our Ophthalmologists are equipped to treat TED.

Get multi-symptom relief from eye pain, redness, and swelling

In a clinical study, 2 out of 3 people taking TEPEZZA had little to no:

Eye Pain including pain behind the eye and when moving the eye

Redness of the eye and eyelid

Swelling of the eye and eyelid