PROTECTIVE SPORTS EYEWEAR

According to a report by Prevent Blindness of America, there are over 38,000 sports-related eye injuries requiring costly emergency room care. This number could potentially skyrocket when you consider the treatment of eye injuries in a private practitioner’s office. As sports participation statistics continue to climb, and newly identified “extreme” sports gain in popularity, the number of athletes who fall victim to eye injuries has the potential to grow at alarming rates. These can be prevented with protective sports eyewear.

School-aged competitors are particularly prone to eye injuries since their athletic skills (hand-eye coordination, balance, reaction time, and speed) are still being developed. However, regardless of an individual’s age or skill level, every athlete’s eyes are targets for injury. Under most circumstances, at least 90% of sports-related eye injuries are preventable with the proper use of protective sports eyewear.

Sunglasses vs. Protective Sports Eyewear

We get a lot of ‘sports eyewear isn’t for me’ as it’s thought of as a high impact sports need. Not true. If you are a casual skier or even an avid bike rider, it’s important to consider your eye health. May times sunglasses or goggles are an afterthought, but really should be considered as important as any other organ.

Sunglasses

It is important to understand why sunglasses are important. The higher you get above sea-level the more UV radiation gets through. This can be even worse during winter time due to the reflective nature of snow. That could mean up to 85-percent of the UV radiation may be reflected upward. Long-term exposure to UV radiation has been linked to serious eye disease such as cataracts and in the short term to temporary afflictions such as snow blindness. This means sunglasses are important in sunny and slightly overcast conditions.

Sports Eyewear

Not all eyewear is protective eyewear. Remember, sunglasses block light – not elbows and objects. The wrap-around style of goggles serves to protect from both direct and indirect radiation and helps to deflect snow, debris, and wind away from the eyes. If you wear glasses, always make sure that you are purchasing goggles designed to fit over glasses. Remember it’s the performance that matters and after all, you want to be able to see all the fun you’re going to be having, don’t you?