Spicy peppers can add flavor, color, and spice to any dish, but they do have their downsides. The pain you feel when you eat them could also make a serious impact on your eyes if you're not careful while cooking a spicy dish. Here's what you need to know about cooking with hot peppers and how to protect your eyes while you do so.

Transfer

One of the biggest problems with using hot peppers is the risk of having your eyes exposed to capsaicin. Capsaicin is the chemical that makes peppers taste spicy on your tongue, but it can also cause chemical burns elsewhere.

One of the biggest problems with capsaicin is that it's oily. That means that it tends to stick to your hands, even when you wipe your hands off or rinse them. You need to ensure that your hands are completely clean after handling peppers before touching your eyes.

Ventilation

Spicy capsaicin isn't the only risk that you could experience to your eyes while cooking with hot peppers. Many hot dishes call for grinding pepper or cooking extremely hot peppers, like certain curries. However, when peppers are cooked or ground up, the hot components in them can become vapor, where they can make direct contact with your eyes. This can lead to extreme pain, irritation, or even swelling.

What to Do

If you're going to cook with peppers, take some simple precautions. When you handle peppers, don't touch your face. Then, wash your hands extremely thoroughly with soap. This will help to remove the capsaicin. Alternatively, you can prepare your food while wearing gloves and simply take them off when you're finished.

If you're planning on cooking peppers on high temperatures or grinding them up, use eye protection. Cooking goggles will help to shield you from vapors and splatter, which could prevent a seriously painful incident from occurring for your eyes.

If, on the other hand, either of these incidents have already happened to you, get to an opthalmology service right away. Putting it off could put your vision at risk, and leave you in a great deal of pain.

There's nothing wrong with eating or preparing spicy peppers when you cook, but you should always make sure to protect your eyes while you're doing so. With a little eye protection, you can enjoy all the spicy dishes you want without having to worry about the health of your eyes