AthleticOptics Tip: Preventing Sports Eye Injuries
  According to the National Society to Prevent Blindness, almost 40,000 eye injuries reported were related to sports and recreation. Estimates of unreported injuries have been as high as 100,000. Eye injuries often result in permanent damage, and over 90% of them could have been prevented with the proper use of sports eye wear. Most athletes take great care to wear helmets for their heads and pads for their bodies but leave their eyes unprotected.

Ranging from immediate vision loss to damage that lies undetected for years, the consequences of sports eye injury can be devastating. Bleeding (hyphema) within the eye can cause glaucoma years later. Even a minor eye injury can eventually cause retinal detachment and legal blindness.

HIGH-RISK GROUPS

  • Those with low skill levels, often younger athletes. Approximately 44% of reported injuries were to children under the age of 14. Fifty percent occurred in people 25 or younger.

  • Those with pre-existing eye conditions such as poor vision in one eye and good vision in the other. Precautions should be taken to protect the good eye since an injury to it could dramatically affect the overall vision.
  • Those with high prescriptions due to an inherent weakness in vision.
  • Those who have had eye surgery since surgery may have weakened the natural state of the eye.

HIGH RISK SPORTS

Prevent Blindness America recommends that athletes wear sports eye guards when participating in sports, particularly team sports and those that involve the use of a ball or other implement. Consider the following:

  • The high speed of objects involved in sports like hockey and racquetball are often underestimated.
  • A hockey puck travels at 90-100 mph.
  • A novice 12-year old child can strike a squash ball at 80 mph.
  • Many high school pitchers can throw the ball between 70-85 mph.

PREVENTION

  • The use of protective sports eyewear, such as shield/face guard, sports goggles and street frames, can reduce the risk of significant eye injury by a least 90%.
  • During high-risk sports, players are best protected by sports frames with 3mm polycarbonate lenses. These are available in prescription and non-prescription eyewear and can withstand a racquetball force of 90 mph.

ADDITIONAL FACTS:

· Over 50 Million American men, women, and children participate in sports that may pose a serious threat to their unprotected eyes. At least one third are involved in multiple sports.

· 40% of all eye injuries between the ages of 11 and 14 are sports related.

· Basketball is the leading cause of eye injury between the ages of 15 to 24.

· Tennis is the leading cause of eye injury in females.

· Soccer is the largest co-educational recreational sport.

· Biking is the second leading cause of recreational eye injuries.

· New extreme sports like in-line hockey, all-terrain biking, skateboarding, and others increase the threat of eye injury and could cause statistics to skyrocket.

DON’T BE A STATISTIC! PROTECT YOUR EYES WHEN PLAYING SPORTS