Roselle Lions Club warns of eye injuries from popular kids’ gifts

Now that the holidays are over and kids are back in school, the Roselle Lions Club and American Academy of Ophthalmology are offering some suggestions to help parents protect their children’s eyes from damage due to holiday gift items.

While seeming harmless, paint ball guns and air guns can cause lasting damage to kid’s eyes. New findings from the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggest that these “toys” are harming more eyes than ever before.

Eye injuries from paintball, pellet, airsoft and BB guns have risen by 50% since 1990 even as injuries to other body parts have become less common.

Far from a toy, an airsoft gun or air gun is a replica of a real firearm that shoots small lightweight plastic pellets or BBs.

Since 2010, the number of people admitted to the hospital for eye injuries from air guns has risen by a staggering 600%. In fact, most children’s eye injuries that led to a hospital admission were caused by air guns.

Unfortunately, eye damage from an air gun injury is often long-lasting. In one study, about 3 out of 10 young patients who suffered air gun injuries still had poor eyesight after treatment.

Here are the most common injuries from air guns:

• Bleeding inside the eye (hyphemia)

• Scrapes on the surface of the eye (corneal abrasion)

• Detached retina

• Dislocated lens within the eye

• Rupture of the eyeball

Protective goggles can combat eye injuries during paintball and other sports. Goggles designed for skiing, sun and wind are not safe for protection with airball use. Also, safety glasses designed for home or industrial use are not recommended due to the fact they can shatter if hit with a projectile.

Recommended ballistic safety eyewear must meet military ballistic standards. They must cover the eyes completely and slightly wrap around the head. Eyecare providers can advise parents on the proper protective devices for their children.

Popular brand darts and off-brand darts are also harmful to the eyes. A recent study supports the American Academy of Ophthalmology position that projectile toys are not safe. Injuries from projectiles can be avoided by either not providing these items to children or if they are in use, safety precautions and adult supervision are necessary.

The Roselle Lions Club and American Academy of Ophthalmology urge parents who do purchase projectile shooting items also provide safety equipment to safeguard their children’s eyesight and use common sense rules and adequate supervision.