The scores are in – 1 in 3 sports eye injuries involves kids. Sports eye injuries are a common cause of blindness in kids. Now, before you sideline your athlete, know that 90 percent of sports eye injuries can be prevented with the right eye protection. Here are five ways you can  protect your child’s eyes and prevent sports eye injuries.

1. Wear Protection

For the same reason football players wear pads and helmets, athletes should wear eye protection. Anytime you child participates in a sport – especially a high impact sport – make sure they are wearing their safety glasses, safety goggles, eye guards or helmets.

2. The Right Fit

The right protection works. Talk with your child’s eye physician to determine the best protective eyewear for your child and their sport. 

3. Sunglasses Aren’t Safety glasses

Sunglasses give little protection from impact, and can cause more harm if they are not shatter-proof.  Athletes should wear safety glasses or goggles made of polycarbonate lenses. This type of lens is 10 times as impact resistant. 

4.Learn the Game

High impact sports come with several risks of eye injuries. Before your child participates in a game, learn what eye injuries are common with the sport. Some common high-risk sports include basketball, baseball, and martial arts.

5. Meet the Coach

Does your child’s team have a medic at games? Meet with your child’s coach to make sure there is a plan for how to spot and treat sports eye injuries when they occur.

A word from Dr. King:

The key to a positive outcome in any injury and especially an eye injury is a rapid professional assessment of the injury and initiation of appropriate treatment. If the injury occurs after hours, the child should be taken to the emergency room. However, if during office hours, we would much rather examine the patient in our office since we have the equipment necessary to diagnose and treat the athlete in a more timely and efficient manner.

You are your child’s biggest fan. Show your support by protecting their eyes. So here’s the game plan, if your child needs protective eyewear, make an appointment with one of the optometrists at Premier Medical.

Resources:

http://www.preventblindness.org/support-childrens-sports-safety-your-community
http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/sports-eye-injuries-infographic-3