Children’s Eye Health, Injury Prevention and First Aid

Earlier this month we talked about a pro hockey player’s serious eye injury and new uniform requirements going into effect this coming season

as a result. Protective eyewear is important for athletes of all ages and skill levels, not just pros. In order to encourage parents to take steps to protect their children’s vision, Prevent Blindness America recognizes Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month each August.

PBA’s website offers information on children’s eye health and safety including guidelines for children’s vision health, reducing the risk of eye injuries, and safety precautions for young athletes.

Most eye injuries, sports-related and otherwise, could have been prevented if proper precautions had been taken. However, despite our efforts to prevent eye injuries, accidents still happen. There are countless types and varying degrees of eye injuries. Here I will discuss two of the most common and walk you through the proper procedures to follow in each situation.

Eye irritation

The most common problem your child may experience is mild eye irritation. This happens when debris or a foreign substance, such as shampoo, gets trapped under the eyelid. Go through these steps thoroughly so your child will know what to do if she or he ever experiences sudden eye irritation.

DO NOT rub your eye. Your natural instinct will be to rub your eye. Take a second to calm down. If there is debris trapped under your eyelid, rubbing your eye will only grind the object across the surface of your eye, possibly causing damage. Immediately tell an adult that you have something in your eye.

An adult should then flush the eye with clean, room-temperature water. Use a sterile eye wash if available. If not, fill a clean pitcher or large glass with cold tap water. Tilt the child’s head back, over a sink or tub. Place two fingers below the eye socket and above the cheek and gently pull the bottom eyelid down to hold the eye open. Slowly pour water onto the eye. Continue to flush the eye until the irritation subsides.

If flushing the affected eye does not relieve the irritation, or aggravates it, STOP. Call an optometrist or take your child to the emergency room.

Foreign body in the eye

Another common yet far more serious eye injury is when a foreign object such as a sliver gets embedded in the eye. This is usually very painful and requires a doctor’s attention. Again, go over these steps with your child to prevent further injury and reduce the risk of vision loss.

DO NOT rub your eye. Since this is a very painful injury, the temptation to rub or touch your eye will be very strong. Also, as an adult tending to a child, it will be tempting to put a cold rag or bandage over the eye, but DON’T. With this type of injury, any further aggravation to the area greatly increases the chance of vision loss. So the best thing for you to do is leave the injury alone.

Even if the embedded object is visible and accessible, DO NOT try to remove it as this may cause irreparable damage to the eye. Leave everything to a medical professional. The injury requires emergency care.

If your child sustains any other eye injury, contact your doctor and explain the situation. The doctor will advise you.

Besides sudden injury, children can develop eye problems over time. Pay close attention to your children’s mannerisms. Take notice if they are holding books and pictures closer to their face than usual, if they are rubbing their eyes often, or if they complain about itchy or tired eyes. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, call your eye doctor and schedule an appointment.

Dr. Jeff Pinkerton
iCare for you.