Newswise — The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) is observing Healthy Vision Month in May, sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), along with the National Institute of Safety and Health. Statistics from the NEI indicate that more than 2,000 U.S. workers receive medical treatment because of work-related eye injuries, with more than 800,000 eye injuries occurring annually.
According to the NEI, many eye injuries occur because people are not wearing the right eye protection, it does not fit, or they are not wearing any protection at all. Flying fragments of metal, wood, concrete and other building materials, along with windblown dust and debris, splashes from chemicals and molten metal, hot sparks, optical radiation, and even the everyday nail, are common workplace eye hazards.
Construction activities account for a large percentage of eye injuries. Many of these injuries are preventable by use of appropriate eye safety protection. Everyone engaged in construction activities, either at home or on the job, should wear appropriate eye protection at all times.
In addition, sports activities, such as basketball and golf, also account for a large number of eye injuries every year and therefore, protective eyewear during such activity is encouraged.
"Not only workers, but people engaging in sports, or activities at home, such as mowing the lawn, must wear appropriate eye protection to prevent against eye trauma, which can lead to serious vision loss or blindness," says Matthew Gardiner, M.D., MEEI Director of Ophthalmology Emergency Services. In addition to protecting against eye trauma, Dr. Gardiner recommends regular eye exams as a proactive way to maintain healthy vision.
Founded in 1824, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) is an independent specialty hospital providing patient care for disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. MEEI is an international leader in Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology research and a teaching partner of Harvard Medical School. For more information, call 617-523-7900 or visit http://www.meei.harvard.edu.
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