More than 25,000 people seek treatment for sports-related eye injuries each year. The good news is that almost all of these injuries can be prevented. Whatever your game, whatever your age, you need to protect your eyes!
Take the following steps to avoid sports eye injuries:
- Wear proper safety goggles (lensed polycarbonate protectors) for racquet sports or basketball. In order to be assured that your eyes are protected, it is important that any eye guard or sports protective eyewear are labeled as ASTM F803 approved. This eyewear is performance tested to give you the highest levels of protection.
- Use batting helmets with polycarbonate face shields for youth baseball.
- Use helmets and face shields approved by the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association when playing hockey.
- Know that regular glasses don’t provide enough protection
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Each year, more than 40,000 people are treated for eye injuries related to sports activities. Using the right kind of eye protection while playing sports can help prevent serious eye injuries and even blindness.For sports use, polycarbonate lenses must be used with protectors that meet or exceed the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Each sport has a specific ASTM code, so look for the ASTM label on the product before making a purchase.
Baseball Type of eye protection:
• Faceguard (attached to helmet) made of polycarbonate material
• Sports eyeguards
Eye injuries prevented:• Scratches on the cornea• Inflamed iris• Blood spilling into the eye’s anterior chamber• Traumatic cataract• Swollen retina
Basketball Type of eye protection:• Sports eyeguards
Eye injuries prevented:• Fracture of the eye socket• Scratches on the cornea• Inflamed iris• Blood spilling into the eye’s anterior chamber
• Swollen retina
Soccer Recommended protection:
- Sports eyeguards
Injuries prevented:
- Inflamed iris
- Blood spilling into the eye’s anterior chamber
- Swollen retina
Football Recommended protection:
- Polycarbonate shield attached to a faceguard
- Sports eyeguards
Injuries prevented:
- Scratches on the cornea
- Inflamed iris
- Blood spilling into the eye’s anterior chamber
- Swollen retina
Hockey
Recommended protection:
- Wire or polycarbonate mask
- Sports eyeguards
Injuries prevented:
- Scratches on the cornea
- Inflamed iris
- Blood spilling into the eye’s anterior chamber
- Traumatic cataract
- Swollen retina