When it comes to sports, there is never enough protection to completely eradicate injuries. You buy knee pads, elbow pads, all sorts of body pads, helmets, and other equipment donned for one reason: to prevent injury.
But when it comes time to protect the body—and especially kids’ bodies—during rigorous sports, there is something that is often overlooked: the eyes. And yes, pun intended.
Protecting eyes is our business, so let us give you tips on protecting your kids’ eyes!
Sports Are Risky Business
Many children engage in extracurricular activities, the majority of which are sports-related. With any sport, especially in rigorous or contact sports, the chance of injury is great. To mitigate injuries, coaches, parents, and doctors alike encourage the use of properly fitting equipment.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that an injury won’t befall a kid on the field, court, or anywhere else. Still, there are steps you can take to minimize the lasting consequences that can arise from severe eye injuries.
How to prevent sports-related eye injuries
Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children, and the majority of these injuries are sports-related. It may surprise you what sport is considered the riskiest for kids’ eyesight: basketball.
Baseball and softball come in second, followed by ice and street hockey, racquetball, squash, and handball bringing up the rear. However, the risk of eye injury from baseball is higher with batted balls than thrown balls.
Though football is a sport you might think has the most injuries—and you’d be right—it doesn’t have the same eye risk as other sports due to the facemask and visors that are part of the helmet. Lacrosse and paintball also have a lower risk of eye injury due to regularly used equipment having facial protection that covers the eyes.
But My Kid Wears Glasses Already
But what about those kids who wear glasses? Can that still count as eye protection? Not really. While it may seem that having everyday wear glasses would be better than nothing when it comes to eye protection during sports, it can actually cause more problems.
If a kid going in for a layup throws down an elbow and cracks an opponent in the glasses, the chances of the frames or lenses breaking is high, creating more injury risk due to the broken pieces.
A Simple Solution to Protect Your Kid’s Vision
So, what should we do to help our kids keep their eyes safe and protect their vision? The easy and short answer is to encourage them to wear eye protection, such as goggles or helmets with face masks or visors, whenever they engage in sports.
Depending on the sport, or even position, there are other options to help protect your kid’s eyes.
Here is what to look for:
- Ensure that if the sport requires a helmet, such as a batting helmet or a football helmet, there are clear visors that cover the eyes.
- Though baseball players typically wear helmets during batting, the outfielders do not. When playing outfield, have your child wear protective glasses.
- For the majority of sports, you can have kids don regular protective glasses. If your kid wears corrective lenses regularly, you can ask your eye doctor for recommendations.
What to look for in Protective Eyewear
Be sure that you choose a polycarbonate lens for impact protection when you pick out goggles or safety glasses; polycarbonate material is shatter- and breakage-resistant. Glass lenses are not as popular as they once were now that the polycarbonate lens has become more widely available.
When researching eye protection, it should list “ASTM F803 approved,” meaning it’s been performance tested to ensure it works correctly.
Also, make sure that the eye protection fits correctly. If it is too tight, your child may be resistant to wearing it due to discomfort, and if it is too large, it may fall off or dislodge during play.
For other sports, especially water or outdoor sports such as swimming or snowboarding, don’t forget about UV protection! Light reflecting off water and snow can cause sun damage to the eyes. Using goggles during water sports can also protect the eye from pool chemicals that can cause irritation and discomfort.
Watch out for eye injuries!
A sad statistic from emergency rooms is that 90% of eye injuries could be prevented just by using eye protection during sports. If the unfortunate happens and an eye injury occurs, be on the lookout for these symptoms that require medical attention:
- Pain
- Eyelid swelling or bruising
- Cuts on eyelid or eyebrow
- Light sensitivity
- Double vision
- Blurred or loss of vision
- Eye immobility
- Vision impairment such as dark spots, blind spots, floaters, or flashing lights
These injuries and symptoms can indicate more serious problems such as corneal abrasions, retinal detachment, and internal bleeding. These can be serious or even lead to permanent vision loss and must receive medical attention immediately.
One of the best things to normalize eye protection in youth sports is to be an example. Wear your goggles or safety glasses when you hit the court or run out on the field. Make it a priority to preserve your vision by taking simple steps!
Assil Gaur Eye Institute is the winning team for you
At AGEI, you will experience state-of-the-art ophthalmology that brings revolutionary technologies together with experienced, board-certified vision care professionals. Our goal is to help you achieve your best possible vision and eye health. Contact us for a consultation.
Please call 866-945-2745 or visit us here to make an appointment online. If you are experiencing any concerning symptoms or require immediate eye care, contact us to determine the best time to schedule an exam.
Assil Gaur Eye Institute takes our patients’ safety seriously. Our facility’s Covid-19 patient safety procedures exceed all the CDC’s coronavirus pandemic recommendations. Masks are always required in our institutes.
We are conveniently located for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area at locations in or near Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles.
