April is also known as Sports Eye Safety Month. This is to raise awareness that sports and other recreational activities can be the cause of eye injuries, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Thankfully, these injuries can be avoided by using the proper protective eye gear. In this post, the trusted optometrist in your area, Nova Vision Center, shares the key tips to prevent sports-related eye injuries.
When Should Children Use Protective Eyewear?
Kids need to use protective eye gear when they’re engaging or competing in a sport that puts their eyes at huge risk of contact or damage. A few of these sports include basketball, baseball, hockey, or fencing, which all post a high risk of eye injury. A few examples of moderate-risk sports include golf, tennis and badminton.
Tips to Prevent Sports-Related Eye Injuries
Your eye doctor shares a few tips to prevent eye injuries from occurring:
- Use a face mask along with an impact-resistant shield when playing sports with projectiles such as football, baseball, and hockey.
- When playing basketball, soccer, field hockey, or other racquet sports, use goggles or other protective eyewear with strong polycarbonate lenses.
- Only use eye protection that is recognized, tested, and compliant to the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.
- If your sport has specific eye gear meant for performance, do use it.
- Make sure that your protective peripherals fit comfortably well. If possible, find one with padding along your brows and nose bridge to avoid skin irritation as this could hamper your performance.
- If you have suffered an eye injury, visit an ophthalmologist as soon as you can to resolve the situation.
For your vision and eye health needs, you can depend on Nova Vision Center. We provide quality eye care and contact lenses for your convenience. Call us at (703) 578-3600 or fill out our contact form to request an appointment. We help patients in Falls Church and Arlington, VA.
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