With thousands of eye injuries each year directly related to sports injuries, it is important to take all precautionary measures to protect your eyes when hitting the field, court, or gym.
September is Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month; therefore, we have summed up the different types of equipment you should be wearing to protect your eyes when playing your favorite sport or participating in your favorite fitness activity.
Prevent Blindness America (PBA) is the organization that sponsors Sports Safety Month. Their mission is to prevent blindness and preserve sight. They work to make sure that everyone has a chance to enjoy a lifetime of healthy vision, starting in infancy and childhood. So whether you’re a kid or an adult, you should be preparing to play by protecting your eyes with the following equipment:
Protective Eye Gear
Different sports and fitness activities will call for different types of protective eye gear. Whether goggles, safety glasses, safety shields, eye guards, or a full-face guard, it is vital that you wear some type of eye protection when playing any type of sport. The fit of the protective eyewear is also very important, as you do not want them to shift or fall off while playing.
Contact Lenses
If you typically wear prescription glasses, you should consider switching to contact lenses. Ordinary prescription glasses and sunglasses will not protect your eyes, and are typically very difficult and uncomfortable to wear under protective eyewear. By switching to contacts, you will easily be able to wear any protective eye equipment with no hassle.
Sunglasses
Sports that are played outside require the use of sunglasses. By playing outdoors, you are exposed to UV rays from sunlight as you are anytime you walk outdoors. The other concern with playing sports outside is getting sun in your eyes in the middle of the game and risking the chance of falling, causing an even worse injury.
Helmets
When you think of a helmet, you may not initially think of it protecting your eyes. While it primarily is meant to protect your skull, it also provides another barrier from preventing damage to your eyes. This is particularly necessary when playing contact sports.
This month, start to make a conscious effort to protect your eyes more when you are being active. Remember that one small wrong move, and you can severely damage your eyes for life.