Will your child be attending camp this year? If so, watch out for potential eye problems and injuries that could occur. Approximately 44 % of all eye injuries occur in children under the age of 14. Common eye problems in campers include:

A FOREIGN BODY IN THE EYE
Dirt, sand, sawdust, or bugs commonly fly into young camper's eyes. If a foreign object in the eye is suspected, first wash hands before touching the eye. Pull the top eyelid over the lower lid and then release the top lid. This can be done slowly several times to induce tearing, which may wash the object from the eye. If this is not successful, rinse the eye carefully with a garden hose under low pressure. A shower is not a good idea because the water pressure is too strong and could cause further injury to the eye. If the foreign body remains, the eye hurts, or the vision is blurred, have the child evaluated by the camp nurse or doctor. Lack of immediate attention could result in infection and permanent vision loss.

A BLOW TO THE EYE
A variety of ball games often take place at camp. Tennis balls at high speed can do a great deal of damage if they strike the eye. Harder balls, such as baseballs, can cause severe damage to the eye as well as fractures to bones around the eyes. Or, an injury could also occur with a fall involving contact with the eye area. Persistent pain or blurred vision are signs for concern. The camp doctor should evaluate the child.

PENETRATING EYE INJURY
The eye can be punctured at camp from a fishhook, knife, tree branch or other sharp object. If a penetrating eye injury is suspected, do not touch or wash the eye. Protect the eye with an eye shield and seek immediate medical attention. A clean Styrofoam cup can be taped over the eye for protection if an eye shield is not available. Immediate medical attention is crucial to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss.

CORNEAL ABRASION
A corneal abrasion is a scrape of the front surface of the eye. A thin layer, called the epithelium, covers the surface of the cornea at the front of the eyeball. In a corneal abrasion, this layer gets scrapped off, much like a skinned knee or elbow. Many objects can scrape the cornea such as a fingernail, a twig, sand, or other foreign object.

Be very cautious in treating a scrape on the eye. Make sure there is no foreign body in the eye. If so, wash it out as mentioned above. If rinsing does not remove the object, place a shield over the eye and seek medical attention. Corneal abrasions are treated with antibiotic drops or ointments under the care of a nurse or doctor. Seek medical attention immediately.

PINK EYE, CONJUNCTIVITIS
Infectious conjunctivitis or pink eye is highly contagious and commonly spread when children are together. Pink eye is an infection of the conjunctiva, a thin clear layer that covers the white of the eyes. In children, bacteria cause 80% of the cases. Viruses cause approximately 20% of the infections. The infection causes inflammation of the blood vessels resulting in redness and discharge of the eyes. Infectious conjunctivitis is treated with antibiotic drops or ointment.

Frequent hand washing is especially important to prevent spreading. In a camping environment, a child with pink eye should be evaluated by the nurse or doctor immediately and isolated from other children as much as possible while still infectious.

OCULAR ALLERGIES
Signs of ocular allergies include chronic redness, itching, and rubbing of the eyes. Ocular allergies are more common in children with systemic allergies or asthma. Allergies of the eyes are likely to flare up when a child is away at camp since pollen and other airborne allergens are often present.

If your child has a history of allergies it is very important to remember to send allergy medicines and eye drops with them. Let the camp doctor know your child has eye allergies since ocular allergies can often be confused with infectious pink eye.