{"id":3332,"date":"2026-04-22T16:45:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.first-sight.ch\/?post_type=glossary&#038;p=3332"},"modified":"2026-04-22T16:45:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:45:59","slug":"eye-injuries-and-eye-protection","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.first-sight.ch\/en\/glossar\/eye-injuries-and-eye-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Eye Injuries and Eye Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Eye injuries are among the most common preventable causes of vision loss in children and young people. Whether during sports, around the home, or outdoors \u2013 the eyes are sensitive and can be damaged by blunt or sharp force, chemicals, and foreign objects. Many eye injuries can be prevented with simple protective measures.<\/p>\n<h2>Common types of injuries<\/h2>\n<h3>Blunt injuries (contusions)<\/h3>\n<p>A ball, an elbow, or a fall can strike the eye without penetrating the surface. Possible consequences:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Eyelid bruise (black eye):<\/strong> Usually harmless, but should be evaluated by an eye doctor to rule out internal damage<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hyphema:<\/strong> Bleeding into the anterior chamber of the eye \u2013 visible as a blood level in front of the iris. Requires immediate ophthalmologic treatment and strict rest.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Orbital fracture:<\/strong> Fracture of the thin bones around the eye. Can lead to double vision and restricted eye movement if an eye muscle becomes trapped.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Retinal damage:<\/strong> Retinal tears, retinal detachment, or commotio retinae (retinal bruising)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lens injury:<\/strong> Dislocation or clouding of the eye lens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Sharp (penetrating) injuries<\/h3>\n<p>Penetrating injuries from scissors, pens, wires, splinters, or similar objects are particularly dangerous:<\/p>\n<p>Risk of infection (endophthalmitis) Iris or vitreous prolapse Permanent corneal scarring Damage to internal eye structures<\/p>\n<h3>Chemical injuries (chemical burns)<\/h3>\n<p>Contact with cleaning products, lime, acids, or alkalis can severely damage the cornea and conjunctiva:<\/p>\n<p>Alkali burns (such as lime, ammonia) are particularly dangerous because they penetrate deep into the tissue Acid burns typically cause more superficial damage but can also be serious<\/p>\n<h3>Burns and radiation damage<\/h3>\n<p>UV damage (such as welding flash, intense sun exposure without protection, tanning beds): Causes painful corneal inflammation (photokeratitis), which usually recovers completely<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fireworks:<\/strong> Combines burn, contusion, and chemical injury mechanisms and is one of the most common causes of severe eye injuries in children<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>First aid for eye injuries<\/h2>\n<h3>For chemical burns<\/h3>\n<p>Immediate flushing is the most important measure:<\/p>\n<p>Flush the eye for at least 15\u201320 minutes under running lukewarm water Keep eyelids open while flushing Do not rub the eye Afterward, seek immediate medical attention from an ophthalmologist or emergency room<\/p>\n<h3>For blunt injuries<\/h3>\n<p>Cool with an ice pack (do not press directly on the eye) Do not rub the eye If vision deteriorates, double vision appears, pain occurs, or visible bleeding is present: see an ophthalmologist immediately<\/p>\n<h3>For penetrating injuries<\/h3>\n<p>Do not remove anything stuck in the eye Loosely cover the eye (for example, with a cup) without applying pressure Do not rub or press the eye Seek immediate emergency care<\/p>\n<h3>For foreign objects<\/h3>\n<p>Small superficial foreign objects can be removed by blinking or careful flushing<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>If a foreign object is fixed on the cornea:<\/strong> do not remove it yourself; have it treated by an ophthalmologist<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Eye protection: Prevention is the best defense<\/h2>\n<h3>Sports<\/h3>\n<p>Protective goggles with polycarbonate lenses for high-risk sports such as squash, floor hockey, badminton, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey Regular glasses do not provide adequate protection Contact lenses do not protect the eye from injury<\/p>\n<h3>Home and garden<\/h3>\n<p>Store chemicals and cleaning products out of reach of children Wear protective goggles when doing home repairs (sanding, drilling, hammering) Keep garden tools and sharp objects stored safely away from children<\/p>\n<h3>Fireworks<\/h3>\n<p>Children should only watch fireworks under adult supervision and should not set them off themselves Maintain a safe distance<\/p>\n<h3>Protecting the healthy eye<\/h3>\n<p>Children with limited vision in one eye (for example, after amblyopia or injury) should always wear protective goggles during sports to protect the healthy eye.<\/p>\n<h2>When to see an ophthalmologist immediately?<\/h2>\n<p>Any vision deterioration after an injury Pain that does not subside Visible bleeding in the eye Double vision after trauma Chemical burn (after initial flushing) Penetrating injury or foreign object that cannot be removed Flashes or floaters (black spots) in the visual field \u2013 signs of retinal damage<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eye injuries are among the most common preventable causes of vision loss in children and young people. Whether during sports, around the home, or outdoors \u2013 the eyes are sensitive and can be damaged by blunt or sharp force, chemicals, and foreign objects. Many eye injuries can be prevented with simple protective measures. Common types [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_wpce_doc":"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