One of the activities missed most during the pandemic has been the opportunity to play and watch sports like we are used to. From professional athletes in packed stadiums to little league teams competing at every level—our current circumstances have shifted drastically in this season.
Fortunately, as we seem to be nearing some light at the end of the tunnel, the opportunities to revisit many of these activities are returning. As we consider leagues opening back up and registering to play team sports again, this is also a great time to consider how we protect our eyes while doing so.
Each year there is an average of over 100,000 cases of eye injuries during a sports-related activity. Unfortunately, over 10% of these injuries even result in permanent vision loss. The good news, however, is that many of these injuries can be avoided with the right equipment.
As an organization that cares for the wellbeing of Americans’ eye health and vision, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has deemed April as Sports Eye Wellness Month. This is a deliberate and intentional way of shining a spotlight on the dangers sports can pose to the vision of participants and how best to avoid becoming a statistic.
The most common type of injury to the eye during a sporting event is through direct contact. When an unprotected eye experiences blunt trauma, the results can be devastating. From basketballs to baseballs to paintballs, nearly all sports pose a threat to an object hitting the eye and orbital socket.
While less frequent—but more serious—there are times when an object actually breaches the surface of an unprotected player’s eyeball. Immediate eye injury treatment from a specialist is required anytime this occurs.
The best way to deal with an eye injury is to guard against it from happening in the first place. To know the best way and most effective equipment for protecting eyes in your particular sport, contact the professionals at Palmetto Eye & Laser Center.
As you can see, there is much more to protecting our eyes when playing sports than just wearing sunglasses. Call Palmetto Eye & Laser Center at 864-583-6381 or find more information on our website for how to best protect your vision.
