What Do You Know About Sports and Eye Safety?

Serious eye injuries in sports and recreation can be prevented by using the correct protective eyewear. Eye injuries are among the most serious sports injuries in terms of their lifelong impact: If vision is lost through an eye injury, it may not be fully restored.

Sports that put a player at high risk for eye injury are those that use an object such as a ball, puck, or bat, or those that involve body contact. These sports include tennis, baseball, basketball, hockey, football, lacrosse, fencing, paintball, and water polo. Some sports, such as boxing or wrestling, are considered very high risk. That's because the participants don't wear eye protection and they are in contact with each other. Low-risk sports are swimming, gymnastics, running, and cycling.

A black eye occurs when the eye and eyelid are bruised through a hit to the eye. A black eye looks serious but may not be. A hit to the eye (blunt trauma) can cause serious injury, however. A hit can cause a broken bone beneath the eyeball (orbital fracture). It can also cause a broken eyeball (ruptured globe). Or it may cause blood behind the cornea (hyphema). It can also cause a detached retina. A scrape on the cornea (corneal abrasion) is another common type of eye injury that occurs in sports. It often happens when a player's fingernail scrapes across another player's eye. The eye can also be injured by an object that enters the eye. An example would be a BB pellet or piece of broken glass. Snow and water sports also can lead to radiation burns on the eyes from the sun reflected off bright surfaces. See your healthcare provider or get medical care right away if you have any type of eye injury.

You should talk with your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program. This is especially true if you have certain health conditions. Your provider can also advise you on protective eyewear for the sport. If you have a personal or family history of retinal problems, you should also see an eye care provider before playing a high-risk sport.

Sunglasses are important when participating in snow or water sports. But they will not protect your eyes against hits or objects. Even if you wear a face guard or helmet, you still need protective eyewear. The lenses on your protective eyewear should be made of 3 mm polycarbonate. These are thin and light, and resist impact. If you need prescription lenses, they also can be made of 3 mm polycarbonate.

The eye care provider will make sure the eye injury has healed and the eye is working as it should. Players should never use numbing drops so they can keep playing.

Chlorine in public pools can irritate your eyes. Water in ponds and lakes can contain the organism acanthamoeba. This organism can cause inflammation of the cornea. This is especially true if you wear contact lenses.