Eye Injuries among Children
Disease
An eye injury or trauma occurs when the eye or its socket is affected by a chemical or physical wound. Various types of injuries can lead to it and these include -
1. Chemical Burns are caused when chemicals of any kind enter a child’s eye. Household cleaning agents commonly cause this type of eye injury due to the chemicals present in them.
2. Eyelid Lacerations are eyelid cuts that result from an injury.
3. Ecchymosis also known as black eye takes place when a type of eye injury leaves the tissue around the eye completely bruised.
4. Corneal Abrasion is a corneal injury that is very common among children. When things like dirt, insects, pebbles, scratches from toys or fingernails come in contact with the surface of the eye, a small abrasion may occur and give rise to this eye injury.
5. Hyphema refers to the blood present in the anterior or the front section of the interior of the eye where fluid flows in and out. Generally speaking, hyphema is caused by an injury to the eye. And when it does arise, blood will be visible in the eyeball.
6. Fractures of the Orbit come into being when one or more bones surrounding the eye are broken. The orbit is the bony structure around the eye. This kind of eye injury normally takes place after an injury or strike to the face. And depending on where it is located, the fracture can be associated with either a severe injury or damage.
Each of these eye injuries must always be taken seriously and given immediate medical attention.
Causes
Eye injuries caused due to various sports activities like hockey, basketball, badminton or even cycling are extremely common among children. In addition to this, toys, chemicals and fingernails are reasons why an eye injury develops.
While these are some of the root causes, below are some of the symptoms that your child may experience if he / she is suffering from an eye injury:
1. Eye Pain
2. Presence of Blood in the Eyeball
3. A Change in the Shape of the Iris / Pupil
4. Absence of Obvious Symptoms
Diagnosis
If your child complains of any of the above symptoms, be sure to take him / her to a physician or health expert at the earliest. The physician will closely examine your child’s eye to make certain that it is not damaged. And in case of one, your child’s eyes would further have to be checked by an ophthalmologist.
Preventive Measures
They say that prevention is better than cure and this phrase makes perfect sense when talking about eye injuries. As a parent, you may not be able to monitor your child all the time, but you can do your best to save your child from eye injuries.
Here are a couple of preventive measures that you can adopt in your day-to-day life while -
1. At Home:
- Make sure that you wash your hands after using household chemicals
- Store all your paints / pesticides / fertilizers properly and away from your child, in a safe place.
- Refrain from mixing cleaning agents when you are around or near your child
- Read & follow instructions before opening bottle tops / playing games / operating equipment
- Provide an ample amount of light and handrails to improve safety on the stairs
2. Outside
- Ensure that neither you or your child looks directly at the sun, especially during an eclipse.
- Wear a hat or UV protective sunglasses to protect both, yours and your child’s eyes, from the sun.
- Wearing protective eyewear is a must even while playing sports, indulging in recreational activities, performing science or lab experiments at school.
- You and your child should be careful while handling fireworks
Takeaway
It’s extremely crucial to take eye injuries seriously because if not given the attention it demands, it could lead to severe consequences.