What are the most common causes of eye injuries? Find out more about the method of care and prevention measures.

Eye injuries can be caused by physical force, chemical agents, or can result from high temperature and radiation. They are most often caused by the action of a sharp or blunt object (Figure 1) or by the use of organic and inorganic acids or bases. Thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, it is less common to deal with occupational injuries. Most eye injuries are the result of working at home when adequate protective measures are not used. 

The harmful factor that causes injury can traumatize the surface of the eye, however, it is not uncommon to damage the deeper layers of the eyeball, which only an ophthalmologist can determine and take care of with a detailed examination. Patients with eye trauma have severe pain, redness and swelling of superficial structures, increased tearing of the eye and sensitivity to natural or artificial light, reduced visual acuity to a greater or lesser extent, double vision. It often happens that eye injuries are not accompanied by significant problems. Patients do not turn to a doctor, at home and try to remedy the consequences on their own, which unfortunately can lead to significant complications and partial or complete loss of eye function.

An eye injury is manifested by swelling, redness, cuts, lacerations or burns of the eyelids during an ophthalmological examination. These changes are often accompanied by hemorrhage, swelling or incision of the conjunctiva, superficial damage (abrasion) and clouding of the cornea, bleeding in the anterior chamber of the eye, deformed shape and mobility of the iris (iris). Serious injuries, bleeding and the presence of a foreign body in the deep structures of the eye, as well as fractures of the bones that make up the walls of the eye socket, must be diagnosed as soon as possible and urgently treated in a hospital setting.

In case of trauma to the eye by a foreign body, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible in order to repair the injury and prevent the occurrence of eye infection as one of the most serious complications. If the injury is caused by a chemical agent, it is necessary to rinse the eye abundantly with clean water and never try to neutralize the acid with a base and vice versa. It is important to consult an eye doctor as soon as possible.

Eye injuries are effectively prevented by the use of safety goggles (Figure 2), proper handling of machinery and tools, and careful use of chemical agents according to the manufacturer’s instructions.