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Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Date: 08/07/20

Little girl covering womans eyes In honor of Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, the health experts at Envolve, an integrated healthcare solutions company, are pleased to share a few tips for protecting the vision of your children and reducing the risk of injury.

1.    Make playtime fun. While toys bring enjoyment to children, they can also bring the risk of eye injury. To limit that, make sure you avoid purchasing toys with sharp edges or spikes and avoid toys that project objects that could end up hitting an eye.

2.    Keep it clean but safe. Cleaning products like detergents and bleach are great for getting the grime out, but they can also injure your child’s eye if they get into them. Practice precaution when using cleaning products and make sure to put them out of your child’s reach when you are not using them.

3.    Step it up. Believe it or not, many eye injuries are the results of falls. Keep stairways clean and well-lit and install a handrail. You can also use gates at the top and bottom of stairs to deter use when unsupervised. Also be aware of sharp corners or edges on furniture and other places within your home, and cushion them or remove them if possible.

4.    Don’t just listen. If children express pain or discomfort in their eyes, it’s easy to know it’s time to visit a medical professional. But sometimes children will not verbalize the issues they are having. Look for signs like red, crusted or swollen eyes. Often children will rub their eyes, blink more than normal, squint or cover their eyes if they are bothering them. Stay alert and visit a professional if you suspect signs of injury, even if your child doesn’t speak up.

5.    Put the shades on. UV rays are damaging to all eyes, but children are especially vulnerable. Look for sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UV rays, fit well and have lenses large enough to protect from rays coming in from different angles.

This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Please always follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. Programs and services are subject to change. Managed Health Network, LLC (MHN) is a subsidiary of Health Net, LLC. The MHN companies include Managed Health Network and MHN Services, LLC. Health Net and Managed Health Network are registered service marks of Health Net, LLC or its affiliates. All rights reserved.