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.