Seven Ways to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries | Sports Eye Safety Month

Eye injuries occur for a variety of reasons, from work to falls, but one of the more common ways people sustain an eye injury is through sports.

Sports eye injuries occur in people of all ages, but kids make up a lot of the cases. According to the Vision Health Alliance, over 40 percent of eye injuries occur in kids under the age of 15. Boys between 11 and 15 are also five times as likely to get an injury that requires a trip to the hospital.

September is Sports Eye Safety Month. It is a reminder to everyone that protecting your eyes during sports may also safeguard your vision. 
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How Common are Sports Eye Injuries?

According to the Vision Council, in the United States, over 600,000 eye injuries occur each year that are sports-related. Different types of injuries may occur, from mild scratches to vision-threatening injuries. The most common type of sports-related injury to the eye is blunt force trauma.

Blunt force trauma to the eye is usually from an object, such as a stick, bat, or ball hitting the eye, but sports injuries to the eye can also occur from fingers poking the eye and from falls.

The good news is most eye injuries due to sports are preventable. Continue reading to learn how to decrease your risk and your child’s risk of sports-related eye injuries.

Know the risks: When you think of sports eye injuries, you might think contact sports, such as football, cause the most injures, but you may be surprised. According to Prevent Blindness, pool and water sports reported the most eye injuries for any sport. The reason may be that close contact with other players may result in a poke to the eye. Basketball also ranks high when it comes to eye injuries from sports.

Research the most appropriate eye protection for the sport: The best type of eye protection usually depends on the type of sport. Possible eye protection options include:

• Sports goggles
• Swim goggles
• Bike helmet
• Faceguard attached to a helmet

If you are unsure of the best protection, talk to your eye doctor.

Look for the ASTM F803 approval: The ASTM designation indicates that the eyewear is performance tested and provides protection. Different sports have specific ASTM standards for protection.

Try it on: Sports eye protection needs to fit well. It has to provide protection to the entire eye without being too tight. If the eyewear does not fit properly, it might not protect well enough. Plus, if it is uncomfortable, you may not wear it as you should. 

Check with your eye doctor: If you have vision issues or already have decreased vision in one eye, talk with your eye doctor to determine what eye protection is best.

Don’t rely on regular eyeglasses: You may be tempted to just wear your glasses or sunglasses for eye protection when participating in sports, but the regular eyeglass lens is not meant to withstand high force. The lens could pop out and cut the eye. The frame may also get twisted and could damage the eye.

Material matters: The type of material your sports eyewear is made of is important. Look for lenses that are made of polycarbonate.  Polycarbonate can withstand a high level of force or impact without breaking. Sports goggles, face shields, and sunglasses are your best bet.

If you or your child sustains a sports eye injury, seek professional help. It is better to have the injury evaluated even if you think it is minor.

We hope the tips above help keep your eyes safe from sports injuries. If you would like to discuss whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time, call our office at 508-746-8600.