Kadrmas Eye Care New England
  • Doctors
    • Eddie Kadrmas, MD
    • Richard Strecker, MD
    • Daniel J. Townsend, MD
    • Aimee Gray, OD
    • Ashley Sousa, OD
  • Patients
    • CV-19 Statement
    • Eye Conditions >
      • Cataracts
      • Common Eye Problems >
        • Allergies
        • Amblyopia
        • Astigmatism
        • Blepharitis
        • Chalazion / Stye
        • Conjunctivitis
        • Corneal Abrasion
        • Floaters & Flashes
        • Hyperopia / Farsightedness
        • Myopia / Nearsightedness
        • Presbyopia
        • Strabismus
      • Corneal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Corneal Ulcers
        • Fuchs’ Dystrophy
        • Herpes Zoster / Shingles
        • Keratitis
        • Keratoconus
        • Pterygium
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Eyelid Diseases & Disorders >
        • Dermatochalasis
        • Ectropion
        • Entropion
        • Eyelid Lesion
        • Ptosis
        • Tear Duct Obstruction
        • Tumor
      • Eye Trauma / Injury >
        • Blunt Trauma
        • Chemical Injury
        • Penetrating / Perforating Injury
      • Glaucoma >
        • Open Angle Glaucoma >
          • iStent
        • Narrow Angle Glaucoma
        • Neovascular Glaucoma
        • Inflammatory Glaucoma
      • Macular Diseases & Disorders >
        • Macular Degeneration
        • Macular Hole
        • Macular Pucker
      • Neurological Eye Diseases >
        • Blepharospasm
        • Double Vision
        • Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
        • Stroke / Visual Field Defect
        • Temporal Arteritis
      • Retinal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Retinal Tears & Detachments
        • Retinal Vascular Diseases
      • Uveitis & Iritis
    • Resources >
      • Eye Health & Care Blog
      • Retina Digest
    • Videos >
      • Eye Anatomy
      • Cataract
      • Laser Cataract Surgery
      • Children's Vision
      • Common Eye Problems
      • Corneal Conditions
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Glaucoma
      • Laser & Refractive Eye Surgery
      • LASIK Over 45
      • LASIK Under 45
      • Macular Degeneration
      • Plastic Eye Surgery
      • Retinal Conditions
      • Refractive Errors
      • Routine Eye Exams
    • Forms & Policies >
      • New Patient Forms
      • HIPAA Policy
      • Referral Forms
    • Financial Information
  • Services
    • Routine Eye Exams >
      • Children
      • Adults
    • Hearing Therapy
    • Specialized Eye Exams >
      • Dilated Eye Exam / Slit Lamp Examination
      • Fluorescein Angiogram
      • Indocyanine Green Angiogram
      • Nerve Fiber Analysis
      • Optical Coherence Tomography
      • Refraction
      • Tonometry
      • Visual Acuity Testing
      • Visual Field Testing
    • Medical, Injection & Surgical / Laser Eye Care
    • Contact Lenses >
      • Contact Lens Types
      • Contact Lens Care & Safety
    • Refractive Eye Surgery >
      • LASIK Eye Surgery
      • PRK
      • Clear Lens Extraction
      • Implantable Collamer Lenses
    • Oculoplastic Surgery & Cosmetic Procedures >
      • Blepharoplasty
      • BOTOX®
      • Restylane®
  • Locations
    • Plymouth
    • Wareham
    • Mashpee
    • Surgery Centers
  • About
    • News
    • Affiliations
    • Patient Reviews
  • Careers
  • Contact
To Schedule Your Eye Appointment, Please Call 1-508-746-8600

Patient Resources - Eye Health & Care Blog

Preventing Top Eye Injuries in Older Adults

10/1/2020

 
Picture

​Eye injuries can happen to anyone, regardless of their age, but as we get older, we may be more likely to sustain injuries for a variety of reasons. There are several things we can do to protect ourselves and our family members. 

Why older adults may sustain injuries 

Anyone of any age can get an eye injury. There are several ways eye injuries occur, including car accidents, fights, and falls. In fact, falls are one of the most common ways an older adult gets an eye injury.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, research indicates that a large number of emergency room visits due to falls happen to people over the age of 60. Falls may occur more often in older adults due to the following:

Cognitive decline: As we age, some people have a decrease in their cognitive functioning. Our brain goes through an unconscious process to allow us to maintain our balance, but that process may not be as efficient as we get older, which leads to falls.

Vision problems: With age, vision can get worse, which leaves someone with poor depth perception or problems with glare. This can cause misjudging distance or step height, which leads to a fall.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, having a vision problem if you are over age 65 doubles your risk of a fall.  
​

Types of injuries in older adults 

Older adults may sustain the same types of injuries as younger people. Injuries can include:
  • Soft tissue injury, such as a black eye
  • Orbital bone fracture
  • Rupture of the globe
  • Torn or damaged eyelid
  • Corneal scratch. 

Although the type of injury can be similar to someone of any age, older adults may be more likely to have complications or heal slower. 
​

Preventing eye injuries 

Eye injuries are often preventable. There are steps you can take to protect yourself or a loved one. Consider the suggestions below.

Be aware of tripping hazards inside and outside: Take a look around your home and identify any tripping hazards. For instance, look for loose rugs or electrical cords that are easy to trip on. Make sure all railings are secure. Check outside for uneven walkways. Often tripping hazards are an easy fix. 

Have regular eye exams: Certain eye conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, are more common as we get older. But some eye conditions do not cause symptoms at first, which means they go undiagnosed. Having regular eye exams may increase the likelihood that an eye condition is diagnosed early, which can protect your vision. Better vision may result in fewer falls and eye injuries.

Consider installing grab bars in the bathroom: Falls getting in and out of the bathtub are more common as we get older. Installing a grab bar can reduce the risk. In addition, add non-slip mats to the bathtub and outside the shower.

Light hallways and stairs: Dark hallways and stairs can increase the risk of tripping and sustaining an eye injury. Make sure those areas are well lit and easy to navigate.

Use protective eyewear as needed: Falls are not the only cause of eye injuries that older adults may get. Other types of injuries, such as chemical burns or a foreign object in the eye, can occur at any age. Be sure to wear safety goggles when working around your home, such as doing yard work, painting, or using chemicals.

Although it may not be possible to prevent all eye injuries, taking the steps above can reduce your risk. If you have any questions about preventing eye injuries or any other eye health concerns, we are here to help.

Also, if you would like to talk about whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time, call our office at 508-746-8600. 


Comments are closed.

    EYE HEALTH BLOG


    CLICK HERE to sign up for our eye health / care newsletter and have it delivered automatically to your inbox each month!

    Categories

    All
    AMD
    Astigmatism
    Cataract
    Children's Eye Health
    Color Blindness
    Conjunctivitis
    Contact Lens
    Cornea
    Cosmetic Eye Surgery
    Covid 19
    Diabetic Eye Disease
    Driving
    Dry Eyes
    Eye Allergies
    Eye Cancer
    Eye Exam
    Eye Health & Safety
    Eye Infections
    Eye Strain
    Glaucoma
    Injuries
    Low Vision
    Lupus
    Macula
    Myasthenia Gravis
    Organ Donation
    Retina
    Retinopathy
    Scleritis
    Senior Eye Health
    Sports
    Stroke
    Stye
    Uvea
    Vision Correction
    Vision Loss
    Women's Eye Health

    RSS Feed


    Picture

Kadrmas Eye Care New England

55 Commerce Way, Plymouth, MA 02360
14 Tobey Road, Wareham, MA 02571
133 Falmouth Road (Rt 28), Mashpee, MA 02649
Phone Number:
​1-508-746-8600

Hours:
Monday through Friday - 
8 AM - 4:30 PM 
© 2015-2021 Kadrmas Eye Care New England • All Rights Reserved
KadrmasEyeCare.com Privacy Policy • Disclaimer of Medical Liability
Proudly powered by Weebly
Design by DivTag Templates