Question
How should eye injuries be dealt with?
Answer
Eye injuries are a common clinical eye disease and a key factor in causing blindness. When the eye is subjected to external force, the outcome can range from reduced vision to complete blindness. This is due to the complex and delicate structure of the eye, where even forces that are harmless to other parts of the body can cause damage. Injuries can lead to opacity in the transparent structures of the eye, thereby affecting vision. Moreover, a penetrating injury to one eye not only severely damages the affected eye but may also trigger autoimmune diseases in the opposite eye, potentially leading to bilateral blindness. Eye injuries can be categorized into two main types: mechanical and non-mechanical, including contusions, penetrating injuries, chemical damage, thermal injuries, and radiation injuries. The extent and location of the injury to the eye can vary greatly, ranging from damage to the eyelid skin and corneal surface to affecting the anterior chamber, iris, lens, intraocular hemorrhage, retinal edema or hemorrhage, and even causing retinal tears and detachment. Sometimes foreign objects may remain within the eye. The consequences of eye injuries are severe, and even with timely treatment, it is often difficult to fully recover original vision. Therefore, prevention is particularly important.