Common Eye Injuries during Sports

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According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 90 percent of all eye injuries can be prevented with the use of appropriate protective eye-wear, or sports sunglasses. This advice definitely applies to athletes or anyone who participates in sports. Some of the injuries that occur commonly while playing outdoor games are;

Blunt Trauma and Impact Eye Injuries:

These are the most common eye injuries in sports. They occur when something or someone hits your eye with force. Contact sports or sports that use balls, rackets or sticks have a high risk for blunt trauma eye injuries. This type of injury can be minor (a black eye) or serious (fractures of the facial bones, a ruptured eyeball). Using eye protection for your sport is the best way to avoid these injuries.

Penetrating or Piercing Eye Injuries:

Penetrating or piercing injuries occur when something cuts or pierces your eye. These injuries are less common, but can certainly be serious. Examples of items that can cut into the eye include broken glass, debris, and fingernails. Many emergencies room employees can also tell a story or two about someone getting a fish hook in the eye.

Radiation Eye Injuries:

Radiation injuries are more common during sports that occur on snow or water, where the effects of sunlight are intense. Skiers, snowboarders, and mountaineers need to pay special attention to the effects of sun reflecting off the snow, even on overcast days. Ultraviolet light from the sun has been linked to various eye problems, including cataracts and macular degeneration, and is one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans.

Protecting Your Eyes during Sports:

The best way to protect your eyes while participating in sports is to be sure your sports eyewear has 3-mm polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are impact-resistant and are the thinnest, lightest lenses you can buy. Polycarbonate is also the most shatter-resistant lens material, and it filters 100 percent of ultraviolet (UV) light (which will help prevent radiation eye injuries).

Sunglasses should be used during sports in order to protect your eyes from UV light and impact injury. For the best sports protection, select sunglasses with polycarbonate lenses by visiting http://www.shadesemporium.com/. To filter out bright light, neutral gray or amber lenses are a good choice. To avoid glare on water or snow, look for polarized lenses on http://www.shadesemporium.com/.