Sports Injury Safety Awareness

Sports-related eye injuries affect 40,000 people each year, and most of injuries could have been prevented by wearing protective eyewear. April is Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology advocates the need for athletes to wear appropriate, sport-specific protective eyewear properly fitted by an eye care professional. Lenses made from polycarbonate materials provide the highest level of impact protection; they can withstand a ball or other projectile traveling at 90 miles per hour.

“It’s absolutely necessary for athletes to use protective eyewear because eye injuries can be devastating,” says Ruth Williams, MD, glaucoma specialist at the Wheaton, IL, Eye Clinic, and clinical correspondent for the Academy. Unfortunately, many athletes feel they don’t need protective eyewear or that an injury won’t happen to them. In addition to abrasions of the cornea and bruises of the lids, sports injuries can include retinal detachments and internal bleeding. The most serious risks include permanent vision loss. In addition, patients who have sustained eye injuries are at greater risk for subsequently developing glaucoma.  

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