Did you know there are more than 40,0000 sports-related eye injuries treated in ERs? Yes, protective eye gear doesn’t look cool when your playing sports, but it’ll get the job done when it comes to protect your eyes. Serious eye injuries while participating is sports can lead to permanent disabilities and inability to perform essential life functions. Most eye injuries happen in sports that involve physical contact such as tennis, hockey, boxing, football, basketball, and much more. Therefore, it’s important that anyone who participate in sports have reliable eye protection to reduce the risk of eye injuries.

Common and possible eye injuries:

You’re at risk of common and possible eye injuries when participating in sports because of a lack of proper preparation and safety equipment.

Here are the common and possible eye injuries:

  • Penetration: Penetration is when something cuts into your eye. This is a less common eye injury, but damages rages from mile to moderate depending on the sport and object that penetrates the eye.
  • Radiation: Radiation damage can be caused by too much exposure to the sun, resulting from UV rays that are harmful to the eyes.
  • Blunt trauma: Blunt trauma is the most common and possible eye injury, as well as the most harmful. This involves the eye being struck by an object such as a ball or even other player’s body parts such as an elbow.

What’s best for each sport?

Your eyes are at risk at any sport you’re participating in. There’s always a potential risk of eye injury where any moving objects are involved. This includes bats, baseballs, hockey pucks, and even other player’s body parts such as feet, fingers, and elbows.

Here is what’s recommended for each sport:

  • Basebal: Eye guards, eye goggles, face guard made of study plastic or polycarbonate metal material
  • Basketball: Googles
  • Soccer: Eye guards
  • Hockey: Mask made of polycarbonate wire or material
  • Tennis: Goggles

How do I know my eye gear will work?

Regular glasses, sunglasses, and safety glasses doesn’t provide all the eye protection you need for participating in sports. You need to purchase sports eye guards or for products designed for your specific sports to protect your eyes.

Here are other suggestions for sports eye safety:

  • You should buy eye guards at a sports store or optical store. If you’re buying eye guards at the optical store, have someone familiar with your eyesight and the specific sport you’re participating in fit them for you.
  • You should make sure lenses are secure because if one lens pops inwards, it could potentially damage your eye and lead to serious eye injuries.
  • You should look for eye guards and eye goggles that contain cushioning along the eyebrow and the edge of the nose so they don’t cut or scratch your face just in case the guards or goggles hit.

About New Optical Palace

New Optical Palace is your Optician and Optometrist in the Kitchener and Waterloo Area. We offer eye exams for adults and children and a wide selection of prescription glasses for your prescription, contact lenses, and sunglasses.