Spring is the perfect opportunity for people to get outdoor and engage in various activities including sports. The American Academy of Ophthalmology initiated April to be the National Sports Eye Safety Month. Prevention of eye injuries is essential, and the initiative wants to raise awareness of sports-related injuries and how to prevent them.

What Sports Have the Highest Eye Injury Rate?

Research shows that there are 30,000 eye-related injuries in the U.S. each year. You can get an eye injury from numerous sports. Research shows that basketball causes the most eye injuries compared to other sports. Sports that commonly result in eye injuries include:

• Baseball
• Softball
• Racquetball
• Hockey
• Airsoft rifles
• Soccer
• Field hockey
• Swimming
• Water polo
• Archery
• Lacrosse
• Football
• Skiing or snowboarding
• Biking
• Tennis
• Combat sports

You must exercise appropriate preventive measures to avoid sports injuries.

Common Sports Injuries

Numerous types of eye injuries can occur while playing sports. The three most common are:

• Corneal abrasion: An abrasion is a scratch. A corneal abrasion means that the scratch is in the eye. In most cases, a corneal abrasion heals in 2 to 3 days. If it does not, contact our optometrist for eye care.
• Traumatic iritis: This is an inflammation of the iris that leads to blurred vision, high sensitivity to bright light, and eye pain.
• Hyphemia: Hyphemia occurs when the front part of the eye bleeds. The bleeding usually stops on its own and will take 1 to 2 weeks. I love it can lead to serious eye issues such as glaucoma.

Preventing Eye Injuries in Sports

There are numerous ways to prevent eye injuries in sports. They include:

• Wearing protective sports glasses with polycarbonate lenses, also known as shatterproof plastic
• In combat sports, wearing turbulence gloves is the best measure for eye protection
• It is best to wear a helmet with a wire shield or a polycarbonate face mask for sports like ice hockey and lacrosse
• While swimming, wear goggles to protect your eyes
• It is essential to take visual tests on the field as they can identify concussions

Eye Care in Arvada

If you are looking for eye injury treatment in Arvada, call Arvada Optometric Center today at (303) 424-5282 to schedule an appointment with our optometrist.