While the long-term health benefits of sports are obvious, for over 40,000 people a year these activities result in serious eye injuries. The most common types of injury result from getting hit in the eye with a blunt object. Fingers, elbows, balls and the sticks we hit them with, all have the potential for causing blunt trauma. The most common sports for these injuries include basketball, racquetball, football, boxing, martial arts and hockey. Soccer, tennis, golf and water sports also present risks for vision. While many of these injuries result in bruising, more serious problems can also occur. Retinal detachments, internal bleeding, and fractures of the orbital walls all can result in permanent vision loss.
More than 90% of these injuries can be prevented through the use of appropriate safety eyewear. Many people feel that wearing their “regular” glasses protects them. In reality prescription street eyewear, may actually be worse than nothing. Standard plastic lenses can break and the newly formed sharp edges can cause cuts on the face and the eyes. A pair of glasses for everyday use is engineered to be light and fashionable. Because of the focus on lightweight, the lenses can easily be punched through the frame causing significant injuries.
Properly fitted safety eyewear can prevent 90 % of these injuries and protect your vision.
