The Importance of Sports Eye Safety

Sports provide numerous benefits, such as building strength, improving fitness, team bonding, and building confidence. However, engaging in sports can also lead to serious injuries, which is where mouth guards, pads, and helmets come in handy. But what about protecting your eyes?

 

Sports eye safety is very important; you need to know how to protect your eyes when playing sports. Certain sports require players to have protective eyewear. Even if your sport does not require such eyewear, you need to recognize when and how you should protect your eyes.

 

Why Eye Protection in Sports Matters

One of the leading causes of blindness is eye injuries, and many of these injuries result from playing sports. According to the National Eye Institute, most sports-related injuries are preventable through the use of protective eyewear.

 

This is shocking enough to make many parents want to pull their kids from the field. However, by taking appropriate steps to maintain eye health and safety, you can participate in sports or allow your kids to participate in their favorite sports.

 

Common Types of Sports-Related Injuries

• Penetration: With this type of injury, an object penetrates or cuts into the eye. This could be anything from another player’s finger to a piece of broken glass.
   

• Blunt Trauma: This is, perhaps, the most common type of injury people suffer when playing sports. For example, a basketball can hit your eye, causing a ruptured globe, orbital blowout fracture, nasty black eye, or detached retina.
   

• Radiation: This type of injury stems from exposure to UV light. If you are skiing, for example, you face a higher risk of radiation injury.
  
   

Choose the Right Eye Protection for Your Sport

Some sports, such as archery, lacrosse, football, skiing, swimming, and hockey, require more eye protection than others. This is why you will find specialized goggles, face masks, and other protective gear designed for such sports.

 

For sports such as biking, tennis, soccer, baseball, and basketball, polycarbonate goggles are a good option for protecting your eyes. You can even wear this type of goggles over your eyeglasses. Since it is much stronger than plastic, polycarbonate resists shattering when struck by something.

 

You can even find polycarbonate goggles specially designed to match your vision prescription. With this type of protective eyewear, you do not need to wear your eyeglasses and goggles at the same time.

 

When Not to Wear Eye Protection

Do you enjoy playing water polo? What many people do not know is that eye protection can be hazardous when playing this sport. Assume that a flying elbow catches you in the face. The blow might knock your goggles into your eyes, which can put you at risk for a serious eye injury.

 

If you are not sure what type of eye protection is best for the sport you engage in, contact an optometrist. He will help you choose the right protective eyewear to help you stay on top of your game. If you sustain an eye injury while playing sports, you need to seek treatment from an eye doctor as soon as possible.

 

Learn more about sports eye safety, visit Primary Vision Care at (740) 299-1155,  (740) 393-6010, (740) 654-9909, (937) 382-4933, or (513) 897-2211.