FIREWORKS SAFETY

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Happy young intercultural people dancing with sparkling bengal lights

As the beginning of July approaches, many families will find themselves on vacation, at a neighborhood party or family get together celebrating our country’s freedom.  Often a staple of the back yard barbeques, parades, family gathering and other events are sparklers, fireworks, and other colorful explosions that light up the night.  It is also a time that many individuals find themselves taking a trip to the E.R. or doctor’s office with an eye injury resulting from improper handling of fireworks and sparklers.

Many people find it increasingly easy to forget about eye care at night.  With the lower levels of light the desire to have a shield in front of your eyes decreases.  During the day it is easy to throw on a pair of safety sunglasses which serve a dual purpose; however protective eyewear for dark environments requires clear glasses that are much easier to overlook, as there is not an obvious irritation or danger to your eye.

On average about 9,000 eye injuries result from the use of fireworks every year.  Of those injured, 45% are children under the age of 15.  The most common “harmless” firework is the sparkler.  In many cases these easy to light novelties are given to small children to play with.  Many people either overlook, or simply do not realize sparklers burn at 1,200 degrees, which can make them dangerous to children, especially unsupervised children.

Prevention is key to avoid ending up in the E.R. during this time of celebration.  There are a couple of considerations when handling fireworks this Fourth of July season.

  • Do not let children play with fireworks.  If you allow older children to handle fireworks make sure they are supervised.
  • Never light fireworks without using protective eye wear. Ensure that bystanders are also using eye protection.
  • Be sure the immediate area is clear of any debris, flammable items, or tripping hazards.
  • Most importantly… leave professional-grade fireworks to trained and certified pyro technicians.

Remember as you prepare for a night of celebration this Fourth of July, to purchase safety glasses before you swing by the local fireworks outlet.  It’s a time to celebrate, be sure to do it safely.  Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

SPRINGING BACK INTO SPORTS!

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Woman and man mountain runners taking a selfie.

Spring is a time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Many times this means getting involved in spring sports.  As you grab your lacrosse gear, you baseball bat or other sports gear, remember that it is also important to grab your eye protection!

With about 90% of sport related eye injuries being preventable, it is time to take action. Making sure that you have the proper eye protection is key to keeping your eyes safe from foreign objects entering the eye. Having proper eye protection can help to save your vision and prevent unplanned trips to the doctor or emergency room saving you both time and money.

Many people do not want to spend the money on eye protection or may not feel that it is fashionable. Think about the alternatives. Wearing eye protection can cost as little as $40-50 and can save thousands of dollars in an emergency room visit, not to mention help to avoid permanent damage. As safety becomes more and more important in sports, many eye wear companies are finding ways to make safety glasses fashionable and trendy. These safety glasses come in different styles and colors allowing you the ability to pick something that fits your taste.

For people who have prescription glasses, did you know that you can get the eye protection with your prescription allowing you to see as clearly as if you were wearing your normal eye wear? Eye protection is made with materials that are designed not to break or shatter. Normal eye wear is not designed to withstand the impact of a baseball or other type of object and may cause more harm than good in certain situations.

If you do find that you or one of your kids has had an accident and is suffering from a black eye, vision problems, or pain be sure to contact an eye doctor immediately. Quick response could help to reduce the long term effects of a serious injury of the eye. Have a safe spring and get out there and enjoy the outdoors!

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS

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Gardener strimming and strimmer

As spring appears and everything begins to bloom it becomes that time of year when construction, spring cleaning, and landscaping start. Many people take the time to knock out a spring project or two in order to spruce up around the house and make it look nicer.

As you step outdoors remember the eye protection. Eye protection from not only foreign debris entering the eye but also from the sun. Your eyes, much like your skin, are sensitive to the UV Rays that are left off by the sun. Make sure that you have the proper eye protection to help prevent you from landing in the doctor’s office.

We often get excited when the temperatures jump above 50 and the sun starts to shine through the clouds. It’s the first sign of spring and it gives us a chance to work around the house, dust off the work gloves and bask in the warm spring air. I urge people as they step outdoors, whether it is to trim the shrubbery or maybe repaint the shed – grab those safety glasses. While regular glasses can help to prevent anything from entering the eye they do not stop objects from getting around the top, bottom or sides of the glasses. That is why when you are selecting your eye protection you choose a pair of glasses that are more form fitting to your face to reduce the possibility of injury.

The next thing to pay attention to is the sun. We have talked about snow blindness in previous blogs. We want to stress that this can happen even in the absence of snow. It is most common when there is a reflective surface, such as snow or water, where the UV rays can be reflected up into your eyes increasing the level of exposure to the sun. Don’t forget when you decide to get out and enjoy the warm weather to grab a pair of sunglasses with proper UV protection.

If you do suffer from an eye injury, whether it be a foreign object in the eye or the effects of the sun, it is important to seek medical attention. A foreign object in the eye can be painful and in some cases can cause permanent damage to your eye sight. By seeking proper medical help you can help minimize permanent injury.

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

WORKPLACE EYE SAFETY

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March is National Workplace Eye Wellness month. While there are many jobs with a higher probability of eye injury, there are just as many occupations that people may not think about which can also be hard on your eyes.

When we think of jobs that can be dangerous to your eyes, the most common images that come to mind are those such as, contractors, construction workers, laborers, metal workers etc. We also want to stress that there are also many white collar jobs that can have negative effects on your eyes. Jobs that require spending a lot of time in front of a computer or where you are exposed to high levels of light. These occupations can include: computer programmers, call center workers and pilots to name a few.

Workplace eye safety is focused on the overall health of your eyes. Foreign debris entering the eye is the most obvious injury. Less common injuries often go overlooked. We want to take the time to shed some light on various types of career paths to help you to prevent discomfort and eye strain when you are at work.

Fortunately in today’s workplace, safety is often the number one concern in the construction trades. Companies require you to wear the proper safety glasses and provide them to employees for these types of jobs where there is a possible risk of having debris get into your eyes. Be sure to wear them correctly and replace them if they become damaged. If you do happen to have a piece of foreign debris enter your eye, seek medical attention immediately to help reduce the chances worsening the eye injury.

Many people who work at a computer all day are those who will most commonly experience eye strain. This occurs when your eyes become very tired or irritated from focusing on one thing such as a computer screen, or TV for a very long period of time. To help reduce eye strain, give your eyes a break every now and then, take some time to look away and by adding a short walk when you’re taking a break is also good exercise.

The last type of eye injury that we want to discuss is damage from the sun. As we have discussed when we talk about snow blindness, long term effects from increased sun exposure include the development of glaucoma or cataracts. You may be at an increased risk for this type of injury if you are a pilot, fisherman, boat captain or crewmember, lifeguard, etc. It is important that if you have a job with increased exposure to the sun that you get proper eye protection that blocks out as much of the UV rays as possible. This will help reduce the chances of long term damage to your eyes.

Whatever you job is, be sure that you take the time to take care of your eyes. Preventing excessive eye strain, wearing the proper safety glasses or sun glasses is imperative to help keep your eyes healthy and happy.

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

FALL SPORTS AND EYE INJURIES

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Whether it is a sanctioned school sport, or simply a pickup game at the local park, it is important to keep you and your kids safe. Sporting eye injuries account for nearly 40,000 injuries every year, and 90% of those are preventable. When you strap on the sports gear, make sure protective eye wear is part of your uniform.

Various sports fall into one of three different categories: low risk, high risk, and very high risk. Depending on the risk level of your sport, it will dictate which protective eye wear you need.

Low risk sports include sports which do not use a ball, pick, stick, racquet, or bat and do not involve body contact. Some examples of low impact sports are track and field, cycling, gymnastics, swimming.

Medium risk sports are sports that use a ball, pick, bat, stick, or racquet and or involve some body contact. Some sports that are considered high risk include baseball, basketball, hockey, racquet sports, fencing, water polo, lacrosse, and football.

High risk sports involve body contact. Some sports included in this category are boxing, wrestling, and contact martial arts.

Blunt force trauma, penetrating injuries and radiation injury are among the most common types of injuries that are sustained during sporting activity.

Blunt force trauma occurs when something hits a person in the eye, or around the eye. This is one of the most common types of injuries for sports. Some of the most common types of blunt force trauma injuries include an orbital blowout (a fracture of the bone surrounding the eye its self) a ruptured globe (broken eyeball), detached retina (damage to the retina which is responsible for helping you to see) or bruising of the eye or eyelid (a black eye).

Penetrating injuries are when something cuts into your eye. These injuries are much less common. The most common type of penetrating injuries occur when the glasses that you are wearing break and a piece of the glass enters your eye. Other injuries can occur when someone inadvertently pokes you in the eye with their finger, or something such as a fishing hook gets caught in your eye. These cuts can range in the severity and depth depending on how invasive the foreign object is.

Radiation injuries are when the eye is exposed to ultraviolet light for long periods of time. This injury is often seen in sports where the sunlight reflects off of a surface such as snow skiing, water skiing or other water and snow sports.

While not every injury is preventable, taking the proper precaution and wearing the proper eye wear will minimize the risk. Have questions about which protective eye wear is best for you? Give our office at call at 742-443-6767 or 724-226-0444.

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS & EYE SAFETY!

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We’d like to take a moment and recognize our service men and women as well as their families for the sacrifices they’ve made in protecting our freedom.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, families are planning their picnics, vacations and fireworks celebrations. When you begin your search for fireworks you look for the best deals, the most spectacular displays, and the biggest bang for your buck. Many people tend to overlook safety, which can result in your holiday being much less spectacular that expected.

Did you know on average 9,000 injuries a year result from fireworks with 1 in 8 of those injuries being eye injuries according to the fireworks injury report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission? Nearly half of those injuries are bystanders with 30% of the total injuries being age 15 and under.

Some of the most commonly experienced eye injuries from fireworks are: burns, lacerations, abrasions, retinal detachment, ruptured eyeballs and optic nerve damage. An important misconception is that once the firework explodes it is no longer dangerous. However the sparks that produce the amazing glow often burn at temperatures over 1000 degrees and Fireworks release shrapnel as they explode.

As you prepare to celebrate and light off your own fireworks or watch a spectacular show put on by professionals, be sure to consider these safety tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe this year:

  • Contact your local fire department if a firework does not explode to properly handle it.
  • Never let children play with fireworks. Even sparklers can be very dangerous to young children.
  • ALWAYS wear approved protective eyewear if you plan on detonating fireworks.
  • Abide by ALL safety barricades and give yourself extra room well behind them at least 500-1000 feet away!
  • Leave building and launching professional grade fireworks to the professionals.

If you are injured from fireworks be sure to seek medical attention immediately. Be sure to follow these safety tips to help prevent making the injure worse.

  • Do not remove any objects that are stuck in or protruding from your eye.
  • Do not rinse or add solution to your eye.
  • Do not rub your eyes.
  • If any foreign objects enter the eye do not take any pain killers that will cause your blood to thin such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

Remember this year as you venture out to celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence that it’s important to respect fireworks. They are not a toy and can cause serious damage to not only your eyes but also to other parts of your body. Have a safe and happy holiday.

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

DIDN’T SEE IT COMING ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY

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As we move into the summer season many people are excited to finally put away those winter coats and head outdoors. Spring yardwork is in full force and we’re busy cleaning up the yard so it looks nice and is ready to enjoy for summer entertaining. 

It happens all too often that I receive a call from a frantic patient that needs to be seen ASAP. They have been poked or jabbed in the eye by a stray branch, caught by a pesky rock in the face while doing some much needed weed whacking or have scratched their eye with flying dust from the leaf blower.

By being proactive about eye health, you can help prevent eye injuries. These injuries can hinder your ability to enjoy the warm summer days playing golf and nights that could be spent around a campfire. There are simple steps that can be taken to avoid those accidents that you just didn’t see coming.

One misconception that people have is that you must wear safety glasses to protect your eyes which many people find bulky and cumbersome or unfashionable. While it is important to wear safety glasses or goggles for some outdoor activities it is not always necessary for everything. By simply wearing a pair of sunglasses you protect your eyes in several ways.

First the sunglasses help with just general yard work to prevent foreign objects such as a stray branch from entering the eye. They also help to prevent eye damage from the sun. Even on days when it is overcast or not extremely bright you still receive ultraviolet rays from the sun. By wearing sunglasses you help to prevent these rays from doing damage to the eye in the same way that sunscreen helps to prevent your skin from being burned.

As you move on to the heavier yard work such as mowing the grass, weed whacking, or cutting and splitting logs for your campfires it is a good idea to switch to safety glasses. The biggest different between regular eye glasses or even sun glasses and safety glasses is that regular glasses are not rated for high impact object as safety glasses are.

When I recommend safety glasses to my patients they usually look at me and roll their eyes as they think that I am referring to those biology goggles that I’m sure you (like many others) had when you were in high school. Many of them however are surprised to learn that many safety goggles or glasses today are modeled after fashionable sunglasses being tinted so they also help to block out the sun. Often, you are unable to tell the difference between safety sunglasses and regular sunglasses.

So next time you head out the door to do some yard work make sure to grab the sunscreen and reach those sunglasses or even a pair of safety sunglasses to help protect your eyes. You will be glad you did when that stray branch appears out of nowhere and bounces off of your glasses only giving you a momentary sting but doesn’t send you running for the optometrist’s chair.

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

SEEING SPORTS THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES

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As the snow melts it becomes time to grab the baseball bat and glove, the tennis racket, lacrosse sticks or the volleyball uniform, brush the dust off of those sneakers and get involved in sports. But one important piece of sports equipment that is often forgotten is eye protection. While a sprained ankle or pulled muscle can bother an athlete for a few weeks or even months, an eye injury can be a life changing event that may last forever.

Each year approximately 13,500 sports eye injuries result in the patient becoming legally blind in the injured eye. While there are many causes for loss of sight, eye injuries are the leading cause of loss of vision in one eye. These injuries can be a result of impact from a ball, bat, racket, elbow, or other equipment. They can also come from fingers or other foreign objects entering the eye. Fortunately, you can reduce eye injury probability greatly by using protective eye gear!

HOW YOU CAN HELP TO PREVENT INJURIES

While wearing eye protection is important, it is equally import to be aware of what is protecting you and your children and what can actually be putting them at an increased risk. Wearing glasses, sunglasses, or other non-ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) approved glasses can put you at a higher risk for injury. Eye wear that is not specifically designed to help protect your eye can shatter or break. These shards can enter the eye or the area around the eye and make wearing non-approved eye protection more dangerous than wearing nothing at all. Wearing approved goggles or face masks can help to prevent up to 90% of eye related injuries.

Many teens argue that they will not look “cool” if they use eye protection; however, the optical industry has made great strides in fashion in recent years helping to make eye protection more appealing to the younger generations. It is also important to make sure that you are fitted specifically by an eye care professional to make sure that protective eyewear fit properly and are designed for the sport to be played.

Remember this year as you and your children get ready for another fun filled spring season that you can look fashionable while protecting your eyes, and SEE another great season through!

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.

Bissell Eye Care - Eye Safety Monthg

EYE INJURY PREVENTION MONTH

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Bissell Eye Care - Eye Safety Monthg

October is eye injury prevention Month. Did you know that nearly 2.5 million people suffer eye injuries each year in the United States, and nearly one million people have lost some degree of vision as a result of their injury? Most injuries could have been prevented with protective eyewear.

Think about the things you do around the house to get ready for winter. Flying debris or other small particles can be created from outside jobs such as trimming shrubs, raking leaves, mowing the lawn and cleaning up after a wind storm. These particles can get into your eyes and have the potential to scratch or damage your eye. Put on protective eyewear before you use a lawnmower, power trimmer or edger and be sure to check for rocks and stones when mowing as they can become dangerous projectiles as they shoot from these machines

Closing up swimming pools, cleaning windows and other projects around the house that involve the use of chemicals can lead to injury. Splashing chemicals can burn your eyes causing permanent damage. When using household chemicals, be sure to work in a well-ventilated area and keep the spray nozzle pointed away from you.

Flying fragments, fumes, dust particles, sparks can occur in the workshop or while doing woodworking projects. For those car buffs, battery acid sparks and debris from damaged or improperly jump-started auto batteries can severely damage your eyes. Learn the proper way to jump-start an automobile, and keep protective goggles in the trunk of your car to use for those emergencies and everyday repairs.

We recommend that every household have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear to be worn when doing projects and activities at home to safeguard against eye injuries.

At Bissell Eye Care, we have many options for safety and sport eye wear available both our Bakerstown and Natrona Heights locations. If you would like to make an investment in your eye health, consider purchasing a reliable pair of safety glasses! As always, UV Protection is also important for optimum ocular health. Ensuring that the exposure of the eye to harmful UV radiation is as limited as possible is equally as important as wearing protective glasses during risky activities. Sunglasses may be covered under your insurance care provider (especially if they are dispensed with your current prescription). If you have any questions or concerns or would like to schedule an appointment for an eye examination, call us today!

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.