Prognosis
Eye injuries are prognostically dependent on their severity. Often, only superficial injuries are present, which either heal on their own or can be treated by an ophthalmologist on an outpatient basis, for example with eye drops. More rarely, there are serious injuries that require surgical treatment and can lead to blindness as a serious complication.
In both mild and severe injuries, bacterial colonization of wounds, tears or remaining foreign bodies can occur, causing inflammation of the affected eye section. In such cases, treatment with antibiotics may be necessary to prevent complications due to the inflammatory reaction. In the case of eye injuries, the patient’s tetanus protection must be checked and if the vaccination protection is insufficient, a booster vaccination must be administered.
Prophylaxis
The most important measure to prevent injuries to the eye is to wear suitable safety glasses. In certain professions, protective goggles are part of the work clothing and thus provide reliable protection against foreign bodies entering the eye, chemical burns or flashing, for example. Wearing eyewear outside the workplace can also protect against eye injuries, such as wearing sunglasses when looking into the sun or skiing, and wearing special plastic glasses for ball sports.
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