KeeganJohnson, M.D. an Ophthalmologist, Cornea Specialist & Cataract Surgeon atCenter for Sight in Fall River, Massachusetts shared information about sports
eye protection and the risk of eye injuries for athletes. “April is Sports EyeSafety Awareness Month and the American Academy of Ophthalmology asks eye
doctors to remind our community that 40,000 people suffer from eye injuries
related to sports every year. These eye injuries from sports can be devastating,
and the only way to prevent them is by wearing protective eyewear,” said Dr.
Johnson.
Many
sports create risk for eye injuries which can include abrasions of the cornea
and bruises of the lids, retinal detachments and internal bleeding. The most serious
risks involve permanent vision loss along with infection. In addition, patients
who have sustained eye injuries are at greater risk for developing glaucoma.
Athletes
need to use the eye protection that is available for most sports, including
basketball, baseball, hockey, football, lacrosse, fencing, paintball, water
polo, golf and others. “I counsel and reassure my patients that wearing
properly fitted protective eyewear will not harm their performance, and it may
well save their eye health and vision,” said Dr. Johnson. “As a parent, I want
other parents to know that most sporting leagues don’t require children to wear
eye protection, so parents should take special care to ensure their children
wear eye protection.”
Tens of thousands of sports and
recreation-related eye injuries occur each year. The good news is that 90
percent of serious eye injuries are preventable through use of appropriate
protective eyewear. The risk of eye injury can vary depending on the activity.
Make sure the level of eye protection you or others in your family use is
appropriate for the type of activity. Regular
eyeglasses do not offer proper eye protection. Athletes
need to wear appropriate, sport-specific protective eyewear properly fitted by
an eye care professional. Lenses made from polycarbonate materials provide the
highest level of impact protection; they can withstand a ball or other
projectile traveling at 90 miles per hour.
If you
or someone you know has questions or would like help in selecting, fitting or
choosing sports protective eyeglasses, please call Center for Sight at
508-730-2020, or visit www.center-for-sight.com or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.
Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406 Fall River,
Massachusetts 02720 at 508-730-2020 for patients wishing to learn more about LASIK in Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
