Spring sports are making their way into homes across the region and families are gearing up. Whatever sport your child enjoys, it’s important that his or her eyes are protected appropriately. Did you know according to the American Optometric Association, sports related injuries are the leading cause of school-age children’s eye injuries? Approximately 40,000 sports-related eye injuries are severe enough to require emergency room care in the United States every year, according to Prevent Blindness America. Experts say that 90% of these injuries could be prevented with protective eyeglasses.

NOW…the good news is that with proper protection, these injuries are preventable.

WHICH SPORTS CAUSE THE MOST EYE INJURIES?

Sports-related injuries in all age groups happen most often in basketball, racquet sports, and baseball. Other high-risk sports are hockey, football, lacrosse, boxing, and soccer. Not only are these sports high impact, but there is the risk of dust and dirt from the field of play.

The sport your child plays will determine the best protective glasses. Wearing glasses, sunglasses, or other non-ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) approved glasses can put you at a higher risk for injury. Eyewear that is not specifically designed to help protect your eye can shatter or break. These shards can enter the eye or the area around the eye and make wearing non-approved eye protection more dangerous than wearing nothing at all.

The guide below will help you determine which type of eye protection is necessary for the sport your child plays.

• Baseball/Softball: Polycarbonate or wire faceguard attached to the helmet; sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses while on the field
• Basketball: Sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses
• Field hockey: Full face mask for the goalie; sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses/wire mesh goggles while on the field
• Football: Polycarbonate eye shield attached to the helmet with wire face mask
• Ice hockey: Helmet with full face protection
• Lacrosse: Helmet with full face protection or sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses/wire mesh goggles
• Paintball: Full-face-protection goggles – covering the cheeks, ears, and eyes – with eye protection lenses at least 1/10 inch thick
• Racquet sports: Sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses

Most sports glasses are available with both prescription and non-prescription lenses, so even if your child does not need corrective lenses to see, the added protection of sports glasses can be beneficial. At the end of the day, your child’s personal preferences and type of sport they are involved in will be the best deciding factor for his or her sports glasses.

About Bissell Eye Care: John D. Bissell, OD owns and operates Bissell Eye Care servicing Northern Pittsburgh and Alle-Kiski Valley regions. With two locations to treat patients, we offer evening and Saturday appointments. Bissell Eye Care provides comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family beginning as early as 6 months, ocular disease detection and treatment, eyeglasses, sunglasses, activewear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. We accept most types of vision and health insurance plans. For more information, visit bisselleyecare.com or call our Bakerstown Office at 724-443-6767 or Natrona Heights office at 724-226-0444.