Eye Injuries across history and the evolution of eye protection

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the history of eye injuries and the consequent evolution of eye protection.

Methods: A comprehensive search of Medline and the grey literature using the terms 'ocular trauma' and 'eye protection' or 'injury prevention' and 'history'. References were used to identify other relevant publications. Publications were classified according to the setting of eye injury: occupational, recreational or combat-related.

Results: Eye protection has been described in a wide range of sources, including in literature and art. With advances in eye protection material and design, as well as government and societal promotion of appropriate eye protection usage in the workplace, the epidemiology of ocular trauma has changed over time. In developed countries, the use of eye protection in the workplace has reduced the proportion of occupation-related eye injuries over the last century, with a higher proportion occurring during sports or at home. New protection devices and policies have evolved to meet this change.

Conclusion: Vision loss has broad implications for the individual and for society and despite available prevention strategies, ocular trauma is a significant cause of preventable monocular and bilateral vision loss. The use of appropriate eye protection has reduced the burden of ocular trauma. History provides lessons for informing current eye protection and eye injury prevention strategies.

Keywords: eye protection; history; injury prevention; ocular trauma.