September is Sports Eye Safety Month and aims to educate Americans about the risk of sports-related eye injuries and how to prevent them.
What Sports Cause Eye Injuries?
All sports and outdoor activities pose the risk of eye injury, but sports involving physical combat and projectiles pose the greatest risk. Basketball is the leading cause of sports-related eye injuries in the US, followed by baseball, softball, pellet guns, airsoft rifles, racquetball and hockey. Sports-related eye injuries are not limited to players, as projectiles can also hit spectators.
Combat sports such as boxing, rugby and full-contact martial arts pose an extremely high risk of serious eye injury. There’s no adequate eye protection for such sports, so the best practice is to minimize risk and attend to injuries immediately.
How To Prevent Sports-Related Eye Injuries
If you or your children engage in games or outdoor activities involving projectiles and other sharp objects that could cause eye injury, insist on wearing protective eyewear. Regular eyeglasses don’t offer eye protection and may even aggravate the risk by shattering.
Always wear protective sports glasses made of shatterproof plastic otherwise known as polycarbonate lenses. You should wear shatterproof glasses for sports such as basketball, field hockey, racquet sports and soccer.
Make sure the eye protection gear meets the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards or the CSA racquet sports standard. Wear a helmet with a polycarbonate face mask or shield if you participate in ice hockey and men’s lacrosse.
What To Do In Case Of Eye Injury
If you or your children have an eye injury, seek emergency care immediately, even if the damage appears minor. Make sure the injured eye is attended to by a qualified physician or a certified ophthalmologist (eye doctor). Delaying medical attention or consulting unqualified persons can lead to serious eye damage and even permanent vision loss.
Get Specialized Eye Treatment
At Tayani Institute, we offer highly personalized medical and surgical eye care for California residents using the latest technology. In case of an eye injury, contact us today to request an appointment. Our specialists will offer the most suitable treatment and recommend the appropriate protective sports eyewear for you and your children.