How Do Sports Affect Eye Injuries?

Whether you’re a fan of warm weather games or love playing on ice, sports provide you with both a physical and mental outlet. Sports keep you healthy, provides you with a sense of community, and can even provide you with a sense of hometown pride.

 

The benefits of sports are certainly powerful, but they can also present a danger to your eye health. Any sport involving a ball, bat, puck, or object poses a threat to your eyes – and if you’re not careful, you could end up with a debilitating eye injury.

Think your sport is safe? Consider this: Basketball is considered the #1 cause of eye injuries in sports, followed closely by baseball/softball and competitive shooting.

 

Wondering why football isn’t on the list? There’s a key difference here: football players wear helmets that provide significant eye protection. A football probably isn’t going to make it through that helmet’s opening (unless someone is very unlucky); plus, there are strict rules about players’ hands grabbing at the face mask. While eye injuries still happen, the point here is that protection plays an important role in protecting eye health.

No matter what your sport of choice is, here are a few ways you can keep your eyes safe while playing:

• Wear protective eyewear while playing, even if you’re practicing.
• Wear all safety equipment that’s required by your particular sport.
• Schedule regular visits with an ophthalmologist to ensure that your eyes are healthy.
• If you do get an eye injury, see your ophthalmologist right away; waiting could end up making the injury even worse.

 

Enjoy your favorite game without sacrificing your eye health. Schedule a consultation and maintain your eye health with ophthalmologist Dr. Jacqueline Griffiths at NewView Eye Center in Reston, VA today. 703-834-9777

NewView Eye Center serves the greater Washington, DC metro area.