Sports safety: Make eye protection a priority for your child

Do require your child to wear protective eyewear during team and contact sports

According to Prevent Blindness America, approximately 40,000 eye injuries occur in the United States during sports or recreational activities each year and some will lead to irreversible vision loss. The AOA stresses the importance of wearing well-fitted, protective eyewear when athletes of all ages are playing sports—professionally or recreationally. Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards designed for sports. If your child wears prescription glasses or sunglasses, safety goggles should be worn over them.

Do remind your child of the importance of always wearing their safety gear

Make sure to educate your child about the importance of always wearing their eye safety gear. Even if you’ve purchased eyewear, your child might not be wearing it on the playing field. According to an AOA survey, 65 percent of children ages 10-17 say they don’t wear protective eyewear (prescription or nonprescription) when playing sports like basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, volleyball, football, tennis.

Do help your child overcome their fear of an eye or face injury

Protective eyewear not only safeguards your children’s eyes from harm, it may even enhance your child’s playing ability and confidence on the field. The National Eye Institute (NEI) states that children’s playing abilities are often improved because they are less afraid of getting hit in the eyes or face while participating in sports.

Do check for polycarbonate lenses

Research shows that polycarbonate lenses are among the most suitable forms of eye protection from sports-related injuries. This type of material is lightweight, scratch-resistant, and can be designed to meet most eyewear designs or prescriptions. In addition, polycarbonate is 10 times more impact-resistant than other materials.

Do schedule regular eye exams for your child with a local eye doctor

Scheduling yearly eye exams with an optometrist is important for all children — not only to ensure their vision isn’t hindering their academic and day-to-day activities, but also to identify any problems that could impede their performance in a particular sport.

Do not allow your child to wear their regular eyewear while playing sports

Conventional frames and lenses often do not meet the minimum requirements for impact resistance in most sports. Wearing these could lead to an eye injury or even cause permanent vision damage.

Do not forget to do your research when shopping for safety eyewear

When shopping for protective eyewear, make sure the equipment conforms to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications for that particular sport.

Do not assume eye protection is the same for everyone

An optometrist with expertise in sports vision can assess a person’s unique visual system and recommend the proper eyeglasses or contact lenses, or design a vision-therapy program to maximize visual skills for a specific sport.

Do not forget the importance of UV safety for outdoor sports

Children who play sports outdoors should wear goggles or sunglasses with appropriate UV protection. Look for lenses that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B rays.

Do not ignore the warning signs of a concussion

Concussions can occur during sports or recreational activities, so it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms, which can even affect eyesight. Symptoms can include: dizziness, blurry vision, confusion, headaches or vomiting. Additionally, check with your sports coach to see if they are familiar with pre-participation concussion testing and on-field concussion assessments.