Eye Diseases and Conditions Slideshow Pictures Pink Eye Slideshow Pictures Cataracts Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Jay Robert Woody, MD

Jay Robert Woody, MD

Dr. Jay Woody is a diplomat of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Medicine and is an Attending Physician at Parkland Health and Hospital System, Children's Medical Center of Dallas as well as several other north Texas facilities. He is a well-known and widely published authority in the field of emergency medicine and the former regional medical director of a freestanding emergency medicine practice.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Prevention

Prevention of common causes of eye pain starts with eye protection.

• Wear goggles while working with hand tools, power tools, industrial chemicals, or when there is a chance of getting chemicals, debris, or small particles in the eye.



• Wear safety glasses while playing sporting activities, such as basketball, racquetball, and tennis. Also, appropriate headgear should be worn, such as a safety helmet at work when needed, a helmet for playing baseball, and a face mask for playing hockey.



• When using potent chemicals, such as cleaning fluids, ammonia, and detergents, read the instructions carefully. Also, when using spray chemicals, it is important to point the nozzle away from the eyes at all times.



• Children at play often sustain eye injuries. These injuries can result from spring-loaded toys that shoot darts and other objects, plastic swords, and BB guns. Young children can also injure their eyes as a result of fireworks mishaps. Close parental supervision can often prevent these injuries.



• Prevent eye injuries while performing gardening and lawn care activities by picking up rocks and sticks before mowing and watching for low-hanging branches and trees while mowing.



• If you wear contact lenses, use proper routine eye care to prevent contact lens-related eye injuries. People who wear contact lenses should follow their eye doctor's instructions carefully for removing, applying, and washing their contact lenses.