Eye Injuries are serious business – and should always be considered an emergency.
At The Eye Practice, Dr. Jim Kokkinakis has both the therapeutic training and experience to treat such injuries and to remove foreign particles that have entered the eye.
The main problem with eye injuries is that the damage that has been done may not be obvious at first. You get something in your eye at work (this is especially common among tradies) – say, either a chemical or bit of metal, and you run to an eyewash station. The eyewash station floods your eyes with water, and, hopefully, removes all the material that got into your eye. Some people will just stop there, thinking they’re fine.
That’s when the problems can really start.
When you ignore the potential severity of an eye injury, you are putting yourself at risk for going blind. Globally, over one million people have gone blind from eye injuries, and 90% of those injuries could have been prevented with protective eye wear, worn properly.
- Any eye injury, whether it is in your house while cleaning your floors, or just having a walkabout in your garden, is a medical emergency. Certainly, you can wash out the eyes thoroughly before you come in, in order to try to remove any large foreign bodies, but DO come in to see us. We have equipment to magnify the eye area, examine for any deeper damage or bits of debris that need to be removed, and can offer treatments that can save your eyes from further damage.
The fact is, you may not realize the injury is worse than it seems – but left untreated, and you could lose an eye.
Some people avoid coming in after an eye injury because they’re embarrassed over how it happened. They think they’ve removed the chemicals or debris on their own, and just want to move on – but the problem is, fragments and chemicals that your eye can’t feel could be working their way into the tissue, causing permanent damage. Once that damage is done, there is little anyone can to to help you. Swallow your pride after an eye injury, and get in to see us – we take same day appointments for just such a possibility.
Probably the most serious eye injury is an alkaline chemical burn. Alkaline chemicals include:
- Lime
- Ammonia cleaning products
- Drain Cleaners
- Oven Cleaners
Alkaline chemical can penetrate the eye if not washed out immediately. Potentially these could blind you. If you get any of these products in your eyes, it is imperative to keep flushing out the affected eye with running water and get your self immediately to an eye hospital.
With the amount of eye injuries we have seen at The Eye Practice, and the many stories we’ve heard about how those injuries happened, we’ve seen and heard just about everything. Remember, we are professionals who deal with many different situations on any given day, and we want to help you protect your sight. So no worries – just come in and get treated before it’s too late!
So don’t wait – come in to The Eye Practice the moment an injury happens. It could literally save your sight. Call us immediately on 9290 1899.
