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Careless actions contribute to eye injury by Heather Woolwine Public Relations The saying, “You’ll shoot your eye out,” is not just a timeless nag recited by fearful parents everywhere. When it comes to eye safety and health, according to Millicent Peterseim, M.D., BB guns and other careless practices contribute to eye injuries in children.   In honor of National Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, Peterseim discussed several precautions necessary to protect young eyes from injury or debilitating conditions.   “BB guns are awful because the bullets will bounce and ricochet of things and come back into the eye,” she said. “If your child must have one, then he should only use it in the company of adult supervision. This is the number one type of injury that causes children to lose an eye. Retailers are doing better about who they sell them to and labeling safety precautions, but parents and children should still practice good common sense when using them.   “Anyone involved in sports is at risk for an eye injury, whether it’s football, soccer, hockey, basketball and so on,” Peterseim said. “Children need to wear protective eyewear and that doesn’t always mean bulky safety glasses. Regular glasses that children wear throughout the day are fine too. They also offer a protective barrier, although they would probably be more expensive to replace if broken.”   Parents should also remain vigilant about supervising the use of firecrackers and sparklers, she said.   Protecting children’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays is also an important step in eye health because of the risk of cataracts and later, macular degeneration. Although it can be difficult to keep up with, parents should encourage and enforce wearing of sunglasses and/or hats whenever children are outside. “If you get your children involved in eye safety and health now, then they will get into the habit of it and protect their eyes throughout their lives,” Peterseim said.   An important component to basic eye health involves regular eye exams and check-ups. “Children should have their vision checked for the first time around age four,” Peterseim said. “It can be done at the pediatrician’s office so it doesn’t require a trip to the specialist. It is very important so that any abnormalities like amblyopia may be detected.”   Amblyopia is the leading cause of monocular vision loss in children and is usually treatable if caught prior to a child’s eighth birthday. A trip to the ophthalmologist might become necessary if a child has any of the following concerns: a family history of childhood eye disease, complaints of seeing strange objects like stars or spots, trouble spotting birds in the sky, heavy squinting a lot of the time, excessively bumping into things beyond usual childhood clumsiness, or an eye drifting outward or inward.   “Mothers are usually correct when they believe that something is not quite right,” Peterseim said.   As part of its commitment to promoting children’s eye health and safety, Storm Eye Institute works with the 86 school nurses throughout Charleston County to keep them abreast of new methods in protecting children’s vision, understanding when it’s best to refer children to a specialist and treatment options for children with vision problems.      “Instead of worrying about things that aren’t true, like eyesight becoming worse by sitting too close to a television, parents and children should take the proper steps to protect their eyes from sun damage, injury and disease,” Peterseim said.     Friday, Sept. 9, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.