Neuroscience for Kids

Eye Safety

Your eyes are the windows to your brain - Protect Them!

Here are some safety tips for caring for your eyes.

Walk, don't run, with sharp objects such as scissors, pens, pencils and rulers.

Avoid guns, bow-and-arrows, sling shots and firecrackers.

Use good lighting to avoid tiring your eyes when reading, writing or cruising the Internet.

Learn basic first aid for your eyes in case an injury does occur.

Tell your parents, school nurse or teachers if your eyes are bothering you.

Wear proper eye protection when you are doing hazardous hobbies, chores or mixing chemicals.

Wear proper eye protection when you are playing sports such as racquetball and baseball.

According to the National Society to Prevent Blindness, the leading cause of sports-related eye injuries in:
5-14 yr. olds is baseball ;
15-24 yr. olds is basketball ;
25-64 yr. olds is racquet sports, such as racquetball and tennis.

Wear sunglasses that block both ultraviolet-A and ultraviolet-B radiation from the sun.

Never look directly at the sun.

Point chemical sprays away from your face BEFORE spraying.

Wear a helmet when biking, skateboarding or rollerskating and wear your seatbelt in the car.

It is also a good idea to get your eyes examined regularly.
Your body has some "built-in" devices to protect your eyes such as:

Bony sockets: your eyes are located in bony sockets to protect them from getting hit.
Eyebrows: your eyebrows are used to keep the light out.
Eyelids: your eyelids can close to keep small objects out of your eyes.
Eyelashes: eyelashes also keep small objects out of your eyes.
Tears: tears keep your eyes moist and work to wash small objects out of your eyes.
Blink reflex: the blink reflex automatically closes your eyes.