The eyes are the most vital sensory organs in the human body, receiving 80% of all information. Often called "the windows to the soul," they demand careful nurturing and protection starting from childhood.
Beyond conscious effort by children, the eye socket's bone structure, blinking, and protective eyelid reflexes naturally shield the eyes.Minor eye injuries can heal with treatment, but severe cases—especially those caused by trauma—may lead to infection and ultimately blindness if improperly managed. Infection in one eye often spreads to the other, causing blindness and impacting both academic performance and future daily life, resulting in lifelong regret.
Therefore, safeguarding children's eyes is the responsibility of both parents and children. Daily precautions are essential to prevent eye injuries.
What are the primary causes of childhood eye trauma?
1. Traffic accidents: Children in front seats may suffer eye injuries from shattered glass during collisions.
2. Sports-related incidents: Falls, collisions, and other impacts during physical activities.
3. Foreign objects entering the eye: Dust, wood splinters, insects, metal fragments, etc.
4. Chemical burns: Exposure to alkaline or acidic substances like ammonia or soda water.
5. Eye injuries from objects: Sharp objects, hot objects, or blunt force trauma.
3. Foreign objects entering the eye, such as dust, wood splinters, flying insects, or metal fragments.
4. Chemical burns from alkaline or acidic substances like ammonia or soda water.
5. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) or infrared radiation, which can cause corneal or conjunctival inflammation.
6. Children watching welding light causing corneal and conjunctival burns.
7. Eye contusions from punches during fights.
8. Handicraft activities in kindergarten. The eye is the most vital sensory organ in the human body, receiving 80% of all information. Often called "the window to the soul," it is crucial to cherish and protect our eyes from childhood.
When the eye sustains trauma, bacterial infection is the greatest concern. Infection in one eye can spread to the other, a condition known as sympathetic ophthalmia—a dangerous symptom. Doctors refer to this as "sympathetic blindness," where both eyes may lose vision overnight. To prevent this, even minor injuries require prompt medical attention.
Additionally, emergency care should follow these steps:
1. Never rinse the eye with tap water after injury, as it is not sterile and may cause bacterial infection. The caregiver must wash their hands thoroughly before covering the eye with clean gauze, securing it loosely. Tight bandaging can compress and irritate the wound, increasing infection risk.
2.If a foreign object has penetrated the eye, do not attempt to remove it yourself. Instead, place a clean glass cup over the affected eye, cover it with gauze, secure it with a bandage, and seek medical attention. Minimize walking and use transportation whenever possible.
During outdoor activities, foreign objects are often blown into the eyes. Minor cases may cause pain and tearing, while severe cases can result in corneal damage or even blindness.Sometimes, the inability to open the eye may lead to other accidents. Therefore, if a foreign object enters the eye, use the following methods to address it:
(1) Gently lift the eyelid with your finger to stimulate tear secretion, flushing out the foreign object. Simultaneously, cough a few times to help expel dust or sand particles.
(2) Fill a basin with clean water. Take a deep breath, submerge your face in the water, and blink repeatedly to rinse. Alternatively, cover the eye with a cup filled with clean water and rinse. You may also lie on your side and rinse with warm water from a teapot.
(4) If iron filings are embedded in the eye, place a clean magnet on the lifted eyelid and slowly rotate the eyeball to draw out the particles.
(6) After removing the foreign object, apply eye drops or ointment to prevent infection.
(7) If the above methods prove ineffective or the condition worsens, seek immediate ophthalmic treatment at a hospital.
3. After an eye injury, minimize head and facial movement—especially eye rotation—while en route to the hospital. Walk as slowly as possible.
4. To prevent eye injuries, educate children against handling sharp objects like awls, scissors, needles, or bone needles. Prohibit use of slingshots or toys that launch stones. Teach children to protect their eyes, especially when crafting toys or model airplanes—exercise extreme caution when using scissors, awls, or cutting wire to avoid eye punctures.
How can we prevent eye injuries in babies during daily life?
This requires extra vigilance from the entire family. For babies under one year old, parents should never give them toys with sharp edges. Around age one, when babies start walking and running, extra caution is crucial to prevent eye injuries.Never give babies sharp objects like knives, scissors, needles, awls, bows and arrows, pencils, or chopsticks. If they fall while walking unsteadily, these sharp tools could pierce their eyeballs.Additionally, during holidays, never let children set off firecrackers unsupervised. They lack the skill to handle them safely. The explosive force from firecrackers can cause severe eye injuries, including ruptured eyelid skin and conjunctiva, burns, multiple corneal and conjunctival foreign bodies, corneal lacerations, anterior chamber and intraocular hemorrhage, retinal damage, and glaucoma. In severe cases, complete blindness may result.The lessons learned are indeed numerous.
What should you do if chemical agents like detergents or cleaning agents accidentally get into your baby's eyes?How significant is the impact on the baby?
Detergents and cleaning agents come in various types, most containing alkaline chemical components to varying degrees. If accidentally introduced into a baby's eyes, they can damage the conjunctiva and corneal epithelium, causing conjunctival hyperemia and punctate or patchy corneal epithelial abrasions. This affects corneal transparency, leading to blurred vision.Due to irritation of the cornea's rich sensory nerve endings, the baby may experience photophobia, tearing, reluctance to open the eyes, and pain. Therefore, when using detergents, take utmost care to prevent splashing into the baby's eyes. If contact occurs, immediately rinse thoroughly with clean water.