The results of a 2001
study by Prevent Blindness America
showed over 38,000 people experienced a
sport related eye injury and needed
emergency room treatment, and in some
cases, even further attention. Some of
the highest eye injuries occur in
children between the ages of 5 to 14 and
are caused by participation in
basketball, baseball, softball,
football, racquet sports, and swimming.
Nearly one-half of eye injuries require
costly emergency room care. It's also
important to remember that even if an
eye injury seems to be minor; it may be
serious. Symptoms like loss of vision or
severe pain or tenderness in ducts
around the eye require immediate medical
attention.
Don't Be Duped
If your child plays a sport that
requires a helmet or face guard, don't
make the mistake of thinking your
child's eyes are protected from
injuries. Your child's eyes are still
exposed to danger from sports equipment
or an opponent's fingers penetrating the
openings of a face mask.
Likewise, if your child wears glasses,
everyday fashion eyewear is not held to
the same protective standards as regular
eyewear products labeled as protective
eyewear for sport use. The lens in your
child's regular eyeglasses could easily
pop out and puncture or cut the eye. A
frame mangled from impact could also
injure the eyes and ocular region of the
face.
You Can Take Action
The good news is that you can help
prevent your child from being sidelined
because of a serious eye injury. You can
make the decision to protect their eyes
as well as the rest of their body by
adding protective sport goggles to their
equipment bag.
While sport goggles provide significant
protection, they cannot guarantee to be
unbreakable or guard against all
foreseeable impacts. However, a quality
pair of sport goggles equipped with
polycarbonate lenses can be sight savers
since they help keep the eyes and
surrounding ocular region safe. For kids
who need corrective prescription lenses,
we can make
a pair of prescription lenses that fit
into their sports goggles. |