Be careful when you D eye Y

Optometrists are urging DIY enthusiasts to take extra care to avoid eye injuries as home improvement projects prove popular during lockdown.

Last year Specsavers saw a rise in eye injuries caused by DIY mishaps where opticians treated patients for an array of incidents including foreign objects in the eye. Specsavers optometrist Kerril Hickey said about hazards:

Trimming the hedge

“Twigs in the eye are incredibly common – sometimes people may fail to notice the tip of a branch as they lean over to prune a hedge or push piles of twigs into the bin. This can cause anything from small scratches to ripping off layers of the cornea which can be extremely painful.”

Mowing and strimming

“Watch out for objects hidden in your lawn that could be caught up and spat out by your lawnmower or strimmer, like rogue clothes pegs for example.”

Handling irritants

“It’s so important to avoid touching or rubbing your eye as there are chemicals which can burn the eye and even plants that can cause severe allergic reactions. We have treated reactions that have caused significant swelling or have caused tiny blood vessels to leak and cause extreme redness.”

Power tools and pressure washers

“Take extra care using power tools and pressure washers that can cause foreign objects to fly into the eye at speed. Specsavers once treated a man who had used electric shearers on a hedge concealing a wire fence – he thought it was a piece of bark that was causing his eye pain but when we examined him we realised it was actually a small piece of metal which had lodged itself right inside his eye.”

Paint, solvents and chemicals

“Paint can contain chemicals that are severe irritants while substances with a high alcohol content – even alcohol-based hand gel for example – can be a real danger as it can remove the epitheliu, the layer of tissue that covers the cornea.”

Strong alkalis such as caustic soda and wet plaster and cement are also very harmful to the eyes.

Joinery

“This can be a key culprit of foreign objects in the eye. Don’t risk hammering without safety goggles on as it’s so easy for a nail or flint to spark back up into the eye.”

Specsavers is open for care and appointments under the current Level 5 guidelines.