As well as being incredibly painful, any injury or damage to the eye may affect your sight.
Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser to the College of Optometrists, warns: “Eye injuries can really hurt, and the eye is vulnerable because the cornea (the transparent layer protecting the eye) is only 1/2mm thick.”
“My first bit of advice,” she says, “is to think about what you’re about to do. Ask yourself, ‘what are the risks?'"
Here are ways that accidents can happen, with tips from Dr Blakeney on guarding against injury.