Prevent Eye Injuries And Keep Your Eyes Healthy With These Tips
Pegasus Home Care staff knows that it’s essential for our professional caregivers to maintain their health. As well as providing training and support, we offer tips for improving their well-being. We accept the challenge of meeting the diverse needs of both our clients and caregivers.
Pegasus skilled in-home caregivers in Palmdale and elsewhere assist clients with a variety of medical conditions. Some have experienced the loss of vision due to disease or injury. Career home health care nurses offer eye health tips for caregivers and their patients.
Home Is Where Most Eye Injuries Occur
People commonly think eye injuries happen at construction sites or similar work areas. Because of safety awareness in work sites, job-related injuries have declined. It may surprise you to learn that the majority of accidents involving the eyes occur in the home.
Eye injuries affect millions of individuals annually. Most could be prevented by following simple safety precautions and protecting the eyes with appropriate eyewear. That is true for you in your own home and for your patient in their home.
You and your patients likely use cleaning chemicals. Many of these contain harmful substances that can potentially splash into eyes. Cooking can also pose eye hazards, particularly from grease splatters.
Ensure that all chemicals and cooking products are safely used in your home. Your Pegasus team includes home aides who can assist your patient if they are unable to cook or clean safely.
Using yard and shop equipment can also lead to eye injuries if safety glasses aren’t worn. Protection is also essential when using the chemicals necessary for yard or pool maintenance. Flying debris or objects in your yard can also result in an eye injury.
Even when you’re rushed or in a hurry, take your time moving from one area to another. You can seriously injure your eyes if you trip or run into something sharp.
Evaluate your patient’s home for objects or conditions that can cause you or them to fall. Loose carpeting, poor lighting, and misplaced furniture are all safety hazards. All parts of the body, including eyes, can be injured in a fall.
Prevent Contamination From Personal Care Products
If you wear makeup, replace most products frequently. They are easily contaminated and can cause eye infections. Use products free of eye irritants.
Keep in mind that the FDA has not approved the glue used in eyelash extensions. They believe that it can potentially harm your ability to see.
You may believe that your mouth is clean and healthy. It might be, but it’s still unsafe to use saliva to moisten your contact lenses. Use an approved lens cleaning solution rather than tap water or saliva to prevent bacterial infections.
Avoid Digital Eye Strain
Because you’re providing one-on-one hands-on care to individuals, you may not be spending hours staring at a computer screen. Nevertheless, even minimal time necessitates safety practices to avoid digital eye strain. Consider the following:
- Adjusting the screen brightness to prevent high contrasts that tire your eyes.
- Investing in prescription computer glasses.
- Keeping your eyes moist by blinking often and using artificial tears.
- Positioning yourself approximately two feet from the screen.
Most importantly, practice the 20-20-20 rule. That is, every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking 20 feet away. Recommend the rule to your patients who spend time looking at a screen.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits Improve Eye Health
Most people touch their faces repeatedly every hour. Anything on your hand can end up in your eyes. Become aware of how often you touch your face, and take conscious steps to reduce doing so.
As you repeatedly tell your patients, the best way to maintain and improve health is to make lifestyle changes. That also applies to keeping your eyes healthy.
Start with managing medical conditions you have, especially diabetes. Most diabetes-caused vision loss is preventable. You know the drill: keep blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol under good control.
An eye-healthy diet is generally beneficial for your overall health. That includes weight control. Being overweight is a source of medical conditions that have a harmful effect on your vision.
Sunglasses are a must for any outdoor activities to help prevent cataracts. If you smoke, stop. Smoking harms you, including putting you at increased risk for cataracts, macular degeneration (AMD), and damage to your optic nerves.
Get regular eye exams. Exams reveal early stages of most eye diseases. Early treatment often prevents escalating vision loss.
Getting adequate exercise benefits your overall health. But it also can specifically improve your eye health. Exercise helps keep the blood vessels in the eyes healthy, which reduces your risk of AMD, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.
Find Your Caregiving Home With Pegasus
Pegasus expert in-home caregivers in Palmdale and our other locations teach their patients how to avoid eye injuries. They also recommend lifestyle changes to preserve eye health. Career home health care nurses follow the same tips to keep their eyes healthy.
Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We’re hiring professionals from diverse backgrounds and experience.
