An Eye on Sports Safety

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“It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” You’ve probably heard this saying plenty of times, but how seriously do you take it? According to Prevent Blindness America, nearly 40,000 people go to the emergency room each year for treatment of sports-related eye injuries, many of which could have been avoided. What do you do to protect your eyes? Find out how to keep your eyes safe so you can stay in the games.

Just Goggle It

You may think that wearing eye protection will keep you from being able to play your best. However, NBA Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar proved that it’s possible to be the best on the court while keeping eye safety in focus. Here are a few of the injuries you can prevent by wearing the proper eye protection:

• cornea scratches
• detached retina
• traumatic cataract
• swollen retina
• inflamed iris
• blindness

Are Glasses Good Guards?

Athletes who wear glasses, whether prescription or stylish sunshades, should know that these glasses aren’t meant to offer protection. Though both will keep you from squinting at the catcher’s mitt or the goal post, neither offer protection when a ball, elbow, or foot smashes into them. Good face guards or shields can be purchased at sports stores, as can eye guards (goggles). Also, if you wear prescription glasses, your eye doctor can make prescription sports goggles so that you see your best when in the game. When you’re looking for face guards or sports goggles, make sure that they

• fit properly
• have lenses that stay in place or pop outwards if struck
• are made of polycarbonate material
• are padded along the brow and bridge of the nose
• have anti-fog lenses or ventilation

Sources: www.nei.nih.gov, www.preventblindness.org, www.lighthouse.org