Mowing the lawn, jump starting a car, cleaning the kitchen – everyday activities that usually happen without a hitch. However, these and many other common chores can come at a price: serious eye injuries and permanent vision loss.

Nearly 2.5 million people suffer eye injuries each year in the United States, and nearly one million people have lost some degree of vision as a result. Most could have been prevented with protective eyewear.

Here are some eye injury prevention tips for both indoor and outdoor activities:

• In the house: When using household chemicals, read the instructions and labels carefully, work in a well-ventilated area and make sure to point spray nozzles away from you. Many chemicals are extremely hazardous and can permanently destroy the surface of your eyes, resulting in blindness. For this reason, it is very important to use appropriate eye protection (goggles) to prevent blinding consequences from chemical splashes.
• In the workshop: Think about the work you will be doing and wear protective eyewear to shield your eyes from flying fragments, fumes, dust particles, sparks and splashing chemicals. Many objects can fly into your eyes unexpectedly and cause injury.
• In the garden: Put on protective eyewear before you use a lawnmower, power trimmer or edger and be sure to check for rocks and stones because they can become dangerous projectiles as they shoot from these machines.
• In the workplace: Wear appropriate safety eyewear for your job. Many of the thousands injured each day didn't think they needed eye protection or were wearing eyewear inappropriate for the job.
• In the garage. Battery acid, sparks and debris from damaged or improperly jump-started auto batteries can severely damage your eyes. Learn the proper way to jump-start an automobile, and keep protective goggles in the trunk of your car to use for those emergencies and everyday repairs.

Source: The American Academy of Ophthalmology