Holiday Eye Tips for Kids and Adults

The holidays should be a time for joy and celebration but too often families end up spending time in the emergency room or urgent care with eye injuries. This year, the US Customs and Border has blocked 2,000,000 toys from entering in the US. About 11,000 toy related eye injuries occur each year and 13 deaths occurred in 2011 from toys. Most of these are in children younger than the age of 15. The majority of these do not cause serious harm, but some unfortunately can and do cause vision loss and are definitely preventable.

"The responsibility of picking out the safest and best toys is the job of parents and unwillingly, parents may not be aware of the dangers of certain toys," according to Dr. Sandy T. Feldman of Clearview Eye & Laser Medical Center in San Diego. "Certain toys may contain batteries with flying objects", says Dr. Sandy T. Feldman. "Without meaning to harm or creating danger to the eyes, children may direct these objects directly toward another child's eye," the doctor stated. "All of this can be prevented if parents and their kids are made aware of how certain toys should be used and what toys just might not be safe to own," Dr. Feldman continued.

These following safety tips can make a big difference in maintaining a safe holiday environment according to Dr. Feldman.

-Parents should educate themselves on age appropriate toys for their child.
-Avoid purchasing toys with long handles, small parts or projectile objects that can land in children's eyes.
-Read the labels and make sure that toys are marked with ASTM, which means they meet safety standards by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
-Teach children to properly use their toys and monitor them carefully while playing.

Dr. Feldman also points out, "don't forget the common sports injuries. A poke in the eye from one's finger may cause serious eye damage so give your child sport goggles or glasses along with the basketball or hoop."

Being aware of these few tips can alleviate any accident from happening. "When determining what to buy your child or children this holiday season, invest wisely when it comes to their vision," stated Dr. Feldman. Buy only from responsible internet web sites that contain US addresses. Too many toys arriving in the US do not seek our safety standards.