subject: Why Eye Protection Is Necessary To Prevent Sports Related Eye Injuries [print this page] Every year more there are more than 40,000 eye injuries that occur as a result of sports or recreational activities. Almost 24% of all eye injuries in Australia that are seen in the emergency department occur during leisure activities. More than 90% of all leisure time eye injuries can be avoided. Basketball, baseball, water sports, and racquet sports are the leading causes of eye injuries.
Low risk sports include any sport that does use a bat, stick, racquet, puck or ball, as well as those that do not involve body contact. Gymnastics, cycling, swimming, and track field are all consider low risk, while hockey, tennis, football, fencing, water polo, baseball, basketball, and racquet sports are all considered high risk, along with body contact sports that dont use eye protection.
Common Sports Related Eye Injuries
Blunt trauma and penetrating injuries are the most common types of eye injuries to occur. Blunt trauma injuries can cause orbital fractures, detached retina, broken eyeball, a black eye, and in the worst cases loss of eyesight.
What you may not realize is that you should also be wearing protective eyewear when you are cycling, fishing, running, and just about any other sporting activity. You simply cannot tell when you might suffer an eye injury, and it makes more sense to protect your eyes than risk an injury.
Penetrating injuries result in cuts to the eye. They can occur when fishhooks become caught in the eye, from a finger scratch, when eyeglasses break, etc. These penetrating injuries range from mild to serious.
How to Safely Play Sports
One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent eye injuries is by using protective eyewear. Look for a thermobaric PC lens that has anti fog protection and UV protection. Protective eyewear is also available in prescription eyewear, which ensures you have non-bulky, easy to wear, stylish protection, just as if you were wearing no protection at all.
Protective eyewear has become far more stylish than it once was so more people are willing to actually where it. After all, what could be better to look good and protect your eyes?
Many are unaware that in Australia, there are eye protection standards for motor cyclists, racquet sports, and racing car drivers. However, that still leaves the majority of sports without any eye protection standards or guidelines.
Rule of thumb: Choose a quality pair of safety glasses that is tested for your type of activity. Make sure that the eye protection you choose has 100% UV protection, anti fog coating, and medium impact. If they are for outside consider tinted lenses. Always look for polarized lenses. One of the best types of polarized lenses are the Impacto injected polarized lenses where the polarized film is actually inserted during the solidification process. Of course, there are other types of polarized lenses.
Whats most important is that you understand what the differences are between the different lenses on the market. This is where doing your own research can really be helpful.
Online offers a great way to save money on your protective eyewear. However, if safety glasses are too cheap you should be asking questions about quality. Its best to stick with brand names that weve come to know and trust such as Proteus, Oakley, Aearo, etc.
Consider this if you suffer a serious eye injury it can be life changing, and you may never be able to play the sports you enjoy again. Why not play smart and wear protective eyewear?
