October is Halloween Safety Month. As we prepare for all the fun of Halloween, it’s important to always keep safety in mind.
There are many hazards that Halloween activities can hold. One aspect that you may not be thinking about is your eye safety!
Every Halloween, people all over the country wind up in the hospital with preventable eye injuries. But staying safe on Halloween doesn’t need to be difficult! Keep reading to learn about some easy guidelines you can follow this Halloween Safety Month!
Make Sure You Can See!
One common mistake people make when putting together their costume is forgetting to be practical. Some masks and other accessories may look cool, but if they make it hard to see, they’re not a great choice.
Not being able to see right can increase your risk for all kinds of injuries, not only eye-related ones. Be aware of your visual field when you try out costumes.
Be Careful With Decorations
One of the best parts of Halloween is getting to decorate your home with all kinds of spooky stuff. Feel free to go completely overboard with decorations around the house and on the lawn.
Don’t forget about keeping everything safe! Make sure that your home and porch are well-lit, but avoid putting out actual candles.
It may be tempting but don’t even put them inside jack-o-lanterns. It’s unlikely, but very possible for a candle to fall or a costume to get snagged and catch fire.
Also, be careful with decorations that hang around head height. Try to aim high enough that even adults won’t risk having an eye poked out by running into a giant spider hanging from the ceiling!
Avoid Fake Weaponry
Accessories can do wonders for a costume. Fake weapons are a recipe for disaster, especially in the hands of a child.
Try and do without prop swords, spears, and any kind of projectile weapon. A nerf gun may seem like a harmless prop, but anything that can be fired can end up in someone’s eye. This may be enough to land them in the hospital.
Beware of Colored Contacts
In recent years, colored contacts have become more popular with people that go all-out with their costumes. Some of them can look very creepy.
It’s tempting to buy these kinds of contacts online as an inexpensive way to raise your costume game. But beware! These contacts are actually illegal!
Many of the costume contacts you can buy online don’t come in different sizes. Everyone’s eyes are sized differently, so one size does not fit all.
Wearing a contact that’s the wrong size can severely damage your eyes, causing infection, corneal abrasions, and other injuries that can even lead to permanent vision loss.
No matter how cool they look, no costume contacts are worth going blind over! Never buy from any store or website that doesn’t need a prescription. If you must have colored contacts, only buy them from your eye doctor.
Looking to keep your eyes safe this Halloween? Schedule an appointment at Eyecare Medical Group in Portland, ME now!
