Spring is here and many of us will be getting out into the yard to start cleaning up the mess winter may have left behind, but don't forget your safety glasses.
Electric edgers pose a danger to the eye because of the sparks that emit from the blade. Little chunks of cement can also break loose from the sidewalk and end up in your eye.
Weed wackers not only throw things from the ground, but debris can bounce off of whatever it is you're working around, and eye protection is really important when you're leaf-blowing. There's no telling what may be under that pile after a long winter.
"These foreign bodies can even become embedded in the coverings of the eye, the conjunctiva or in the cornea, and removal is usually pretty easy, but one of the very serious things about this vegetable matter is that it can carry a lot of bacteria. You could even have fungal infections in the eye," said Dr. Paul Rychwalski, an ophthalmologist at Cleveland Clinic.
He says even something as simple as breaking up sticks and branches can pose a danger. Little pieces of the branch can fly into the eye.
Also, allergens can irritate your eyes, as if your allergies weren't bad enough already, so keep those eyes protected.
