Staying Safe in the Heat

Right at Home, an international leader providing in-home companionship, personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently, is continually monitoring issues that impact our clients and their families from an emotional, physical and financial perspective.

All across the country, it’s been an exceptionally hot summer so far, with more heat and humidity to come. Extreme heat can have severe negative impact on health. Every year, people are lost in extreme heat conditions. In hot conditions, it’s critically important to adequately hydrate, avoid excessive exertion and seek shelter in shade and air conditioning if possible.

If air conditioning isn’t available, many cities offer cooling stations during periods of extreme heat that offer a respite from brutal heat conditions.

While extreme heat is most hazardous to children and the elderly, it can harm anyone if they aren’t careful. Right at Home wants to help you beat the heat. Here are some tips for staying safe in the summer heat:

Center for Disease Control Extreme Heat Guide

9 Ways to Stay Safe in Summer Heat

Staying Safe in Extreme Heat

Stay hydrated and cool out there, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companion and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. Right at Home directly employs all care-giving staff, each of whom are thoroughly screened, trained, bonded and insured prior to entering a client’s home. All ongoing care is monitored and supervised by more than 185 local independent franchisees. Right at Home’s global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with franchise offices located in 40 states nationwide, as well as in the UK. For more information on Right at Home Winston-Salem, contact Greg Brewer or visit rightathome.net. To sign up for Right at Home’s free adult caregiving eNewsletter, Caring Right at Home, please go to http://www.caringnews.com.

First Aid for Eye Emergencies from Right at Home High Point

Eye Emergencies
Eye emergencies include cuts, scratches, objects in the eye, burns, chemical exposure, and blunt injuries to the eye or eyelid. Since the eye is easily damaged, any of these conditions can lead to vision loss if left untreated.

It is important to get medical attention for all significant eye or eyelid injuries and problems. An injury to the eyelid may be a sign of severe injury to the eye itself. Many eye problems (such as a painful red eye) that are not due to injury still need urgent medical attention.

A chemical injury to the eye can be caused by a work-related accident or by common household products, such as cleaning solutions, garden chemicals, solvents, or many other types of chemicals. Fumes and aerosols can also cause chemical burns.

With acid burns, the haze on the cornea often clears with a good chance of recovery. However, alkaline substances -- such as lime, lye, commercial drain cleaners, and sodium hydroxide found in refrigeration equipment -- may cause permanent damage to the cornea. Ongoing damage may occur in spite of prompt treatment. It is important to flush the eye with clean water or saline while seeking urgent medical care.

Dust, sand, and other debris can easily enter the eye. Persistent pain and redness indicate that professional treatment is needed. A foreign body may threaten your vision if the object enters the eye itself or damages the cornea or lens. Foreign bodies propelled at high speed by machining, grinding, or hammering metal on metal present the highest risk.

A black eye is usually caused by direct trauma to the eye or face. Certain types of skull fractures can result in bruising around the eyes, even without direct trauma to the eye. The bruise is caused by bleeding under the skin. The tissue surrounding the eye turns black and blue, gradually becoming purple, green, and yellow over several days. The abnormal coloring disappears within 2 weeks. Usually, swelling of the eyelid and tissue around the eye also occurs.

Occasionally, serious damage to the eye itself occurs from the pressure of the swollen tissue. Bleeding inside the eye can reduce vision, cause glaucoma, or damage the cornea.

First Aid

Knowing what to do for an eye emergency can save valuable time and possibly prevent vision loss. Here are some instructions for basic eye injury first aid.

Be Prepared
• Wear eye protection for all hazardous activities and sports-at school, home, and on the job.
• Stock a first aid kit with a rigid eye shield and commercial eyewash before an eye injury happens.
• DO NOT assume that any eye injury is harmless. When in doubt, see a doctor immediately.

Chemical Burns to the Eye
In all cases of eye contact with chemicals:
• Immediately flush the eye with water or any other drinkable liquid. Hold the eye under a faucet or shower, or pour water into the eye using a clean container. Keep the eye open and as wide as possible while flushing. Continue flushing for at least 15 minutes.
• DO NOT use an eyecup.
• If a contact lens is in the eye, begin flushing over the lens immediately. This may wash away the lens.
• DO NOT bandage the eye.
• Seek immediate medical treatment after flushing.

Specks in the Eye
• DO NOT rub the eye
• Try to let tears wash the speck out or use an eyewash.
• Try lifting the upper eyelid outward and down over the lower lid.
• If the speck does not wash out, keep the eye closed, bandage it lightly, and see a doctor.

Blows to the Eye
• Apply a cold compress without putting pressure on the eye. Crushed ice in a plastic bag can be taped to the forehead to rest gently on the injured eye.
• In cases of pain, reduced vision, or discoloration (black eye), seek emergency medical care. Any of these symptoms could mean internal eye damage.

Cuts and Punctures of the Eye or Eyelid
• DO NOT wash out the eye with water or any other liquid.
• DO NOT try to remove an object that is stuck in the eye.
• Cover the eye with a rigid shield without applying pressure. The bottom half of a paper cup can be used.
• See a doctor at once.

For more information on first aid for eye emergencies contact your primary health care provider or speak to a home care specialist at Right at Home High Point. Right at Home can work with you and your health care provider to provide your loved ones with the care they need.


Resources:

Prevent Blindness

Medline Plus

Glaucoma Awareness from Right At Home High Point

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. In the early stages of the disease, there may be no symptoms. Experts estimate that half of the people affected by glaucoma may not know they have it.

Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve acts like an electric cable with over a million wires. It is responsible for carrying images from the eye to the brain.

There is no cure for glaucoma, yet. However, medication or surgery can slow or prevent further vision loss. The appropriate treatment depends upon the type of glaucoma among other factors. Early detection is vital to stopping the progress of the disease.

It was once thought that high pressure within the eye, also known as intraocular pressure or IOP, is the main cause of this optic nerve damage. Although IOP is clearly a risk factor, we now know that other factors must also be involved because even people with normal levels of pressure can experience vision loss from glaucoma.

Adult glaucoma falls into two categories - open angle glaucoma and closed angle glaucoma.


Living with Glaucoma

You will probably need to make just a few changes to your lifestyle in order to manage your glaucoma effectively. As long as you are diagnosed early, visit your doctor regularly, and follow your recommended course of treatment, you can continue to live your life fully.

Try to schedule time for taking medication around daily routines such as waking, mealtimes, and bedtime. In this way, your medications will become a natural part of your day.

In addition to taking care of your physical health, it’s equally important to pay attention to the other side of glaucoma—the emotional and psychological aspects of having this disease.

Be sure to share your feelings. Especially in the beginning, it can be helpful to talk about your fears. Confide in your spouse, a relative, a close friend, or a member of the clergy. You may also want to talk with other people who have glaucoma. Sharing ideas and feelings about living with a chronic health condition can be useful and comforting.

Don’t let glaucoma limit your life. You can continue with what you were doing before glaucoma was diagnosed. You can make new plans and start new ventures. The eye care community, including the Glaucoma Research Foundation, will keep looking for better methods to treat glaucoma and will eventually find a cure.

Some daily activities such as driving or playing certain sports may become more challenging. Loss of contrast sensitivity, problems with glare, and light sensitivity are some of the possible effects of glaucoma that may interfere with your activities.

The key issue is to trust your judgment. If you are having trouble seeing at night, you may want to consider not driving at night. Stay safe by adjusting your schedule so that you do most of your travel during the day.

Sunglasses or tinted lenses can help with glare and contrast. Yellow, amber, and brown are the best tints to block out glare from fluorescent lights. On a bright day, try using brown lenses for your glasses. For overcast days or at night, try using the lighter tints of yellow and amber.

Experiment to see what works best for you under different circumstances.

Right At Home High Point can provide you the support you need to prevent and help care for your family members with glaucoma or glaucoma symptoms. If your loved one has special needs, Right At Home can work with you and your health care provider to provide the care needed.

Resources:

Glaucoma Research Foundation

All About Vision

WebMD