If I say eye injury, you'd say what? This time of year a lot of people would say fireworks. But fireworks, while dangerous, only cause about 1 percent of the 2.5 million eye injuries that take place each year.

So where do people hurt their eyes?

"There's a common misperception that most of those injuries occur in the workplace," said Seattle ophthalmologist Dr. Aaron Weingeist. "The reality is that almost half of them occur at home when people feel they're relatively safe from eye injury."

Weingeist says most of these injuries could be prevented by using protective eye wear. That's why the American Academy of Ophthalmology wants to see a pair of safety glasses in every house to be used frequently.

"Anytime you're pounding, using chemicals, power tolls or observing at a close range people doing those things it's a good idea to wear safety glasses."

If you think you seriously injured your eye, don't rub it. Put on a patch and call a doctor. If you get a chemical in your eye, get to a sink right away and flush it out with water for about 15 minutes, then contact the doctor.

For More Information:

Ophthalmologists Issue New Recommendation in Effort to Prevent Eye Injuries at Home

Eye Injuries