Protecting Your Eyes During Sports

Certainly, protecting your eyes while playing sports is extremely important any time of year. Since April is Sports Eye Safety Month, it’s even more important right now!

Athletes and coaches are well aware that eye injuries happen all the time, while playing sports. It is estimated that more than 100,000 eye injuries occur, due to sports each year. A sizable number of those eye injuries lead to permanent vision loss. Therefore, it is important to take measures to protect the eyes, while playing sports.

Highest Incidence Of Eye Injuries

It is interesting to note that some sports report more eye injuries than others. These are very high risk sports. For example, basketball, baseball, and sports like tennis report a high number of eye injuries. This is probably because the sports use a flying object. It is easy for a player to get hit in the eye or jabbed in the eye.

Full-contact martial arts are also a sport that reports extreme eye injuries. Other sports that report a high number of eye injuries include football, hockey, and lacrosse. Generally, they are eye socket fractures to corneal abrasions.

Guidelines for Protecting Your Eyes

An eye doctor in Boca Raton would certainly agree that it is important to wear protective eyewear. This is the best way to avoid injuries to your eyes. It is suggested that athletes and those that take part in leisure sports wear shatterproof polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are recommended because they are very tough and durable. The lenses are able to easily endure the strongest objects that are thrown at you, while playing just about any sport.

Baseball and hockey players should wear protective helmets that include shields made of polycarbonate that go over their eyes. It is also advisable to replace any damaged protective eyewear with new polycarbonate lenses.

If You Get an Eye Injury Playing Sports, See an Eye Doctor in Boca Raton

If an eye injury occurs while you or a friend are playing sports in Boca Raton, stop immediately and seek out the services of an eye doctor. An eye doctor will examine the injury and determine if the eye injury is minor or serious requiring more medical attention. If you would like more information about eye injuries or eye safety, schedule an appointment at We Are Eyes by calling 561-995-9600.