Protective Eyewear Important for Young Athletes' Safety

With school starting in just about a month or less, the kids will be back playing on their favorite sports teams. But you might not be aware that eye injuries are one of the most common types of injuries that children suffer while playing sports. However, it is simple to prevent these injuries by making sure that your children wear protective eyewear.

Mild injuries during sports include eyelid bruises or corneal abrasions, but can be as severe as internal bleeding and fractures to the bone surrounding the eye. Although less severe injuries can heal fully and result in no permanent damage, the more severe injuries can lead to long-term consequences and possible surgeries. Doctors are urged to educate parents, young athletes and coaches about the dangers of eye injuries and encourage the use of eye protection during such sports as basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, fencing and soccer.

In fact, 9 out of 10 eye injuries to young athletes could be avoided with the use of proper protective eyewear. Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children, and many of these eye injuries are sports-related. Overall, about 100,000 eye injuries occur in the U.S. each year and about half of those are to children. Parents should seek immediate medical attention if their young athlete experiences redness, cuts or punctures, discharge or a lot of tearing, swelling of the eye or the area around the eye, deep pain, pain behind the eyes, unexplained headaches, or loss of vision. Your children can still have a safe and fun time playing sports with the proper protective eyewear.