Yay! Only a few weeks left until Christmas! This time of year is so exciting! There’s so much joy from being with friends and family, enjoying good food and giving gifts! It’s an especially exciting time of year for small children. With visions of Santa bringing presents, how could they not be excited?! Have you ever thought that some of the gifts that you give a child could cause them injury? Don’t let all of the joy and excitement of the holiday season get spoiled by an avoidable eye accident! Here are some gift-giving safety tips to help keep small children and their peepers safe over the holidays!
With all of the toys on the market, it’s sometimes hard to know whats an appropriate gift to buy and give a child. Many times, it’s overlooked that some toys can pose a hazard to eye health. Some toys definitely have more potential to cause an eye injury over others! Being cautious and aware of what to look out for when purchasing a present for a child can help reduce their risk of an eye accident. Knowledge often goes hand in hand with prevention, so read our tips below that might help prevent a potential eye accident!
Avoid An Eye Accident By Following These Gift Safety Tips!
- When purchasing a gift for a child, consider their age and only purchase age-appropriate toys.
- Along with following a toy’s suggested age limit, also ask yourself if you think the child is mature enough for the gift you plan to give them.
- If your child is the receiver of a Christmas gift, evaluate if you think that the gift is age appropriate for your child.
- A gift that may be deemed unsuitable, should either be exchanged for something which is more appropriate, or kept away from the child until they are at a suitable age to have it.
- Be aware that some toys should ONLY be played with while being supervised by an adult.
- Know how a toy is made and what parts the toy contains. Be cautious if it contains sharp edges or points that may pose a potential safety risk.
- Be cautious of toys which shoot, have sharp points, or contain elastics. As these items can cause serious eye injuries.
- Keep toys which are intended for older children away and out of reach of younger children.
The website, All About Vision has a great article on how to evaluate what toys are appropriate and not appropriate for children. Check out their article here!
What Should I Do If An Eye Injury Occurs?
Should an accidental eye injury occur, it’s important to get proper medical care ASAP! Not seeking out care after an eye accident in a timely fashion can further cause damage to vision and eye health. An optometrist is a great place to go if a member of your family sustains an eye injury. Optometry offices have special microscopes called a slit lamp. The slit lamp allows the eye doctor to asses and evaluate the severity and type of eye injury. It also helps them determine what the best course of action and treatment for the injury is!
Alberta Health Care covers the cost of the eye examination related to an eye injury appointments!
Have A Safe And Happy Holiday Season!
The team of doctors and staff at the Glenmore Landing Vision Center wish all of our patients happy holidays! We thank you for your patronage over the past year and look forward to serving you in 2019!
This article was written by Trina Vanaalst, registered contact lens practitioner and licensed optician.