Eye Safety

Eye Protection

Exercise Caution to Prevent Sports-Related Eye Injuries

In 2007, the CheckYearly campaign, in partnership with the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, created an educational kit to reach sport & physical education professionals. Order a FREE copy of the kit or download the materials below:

Each year, 38,000 sports-related eye injuries in the United States require a trip to the emergency room - that’s one serious eye injury every thirteen minutes! An eye injury is the leading cause of vision loss in one eye and 27 percent of these injuries occur while playing sports. The good news is 90 percent of these eye injuries are preventable.

A survey by the Vision Council of America revealed that nearly 9 in ten people believe children should regularly wear protective eyewear when playing sports, yet the National Eye Institute reports that less than 15 percent of children wear protection during “hazardous” sports activities. Of course, nothing can prevent all sports-related eye injuries. But simply making sports protective eyewear a part of athletic uniforms can significantly reduce the likelihood of potentially sight damaging injuries. Anyone participating in the following sports and activities should wear protective eyewear:

baseball or softball
racquetball
tennis
badminton
soccer
football
ice hockey or street hockey
basketball
lacrosse
archery
fencing
boxing
karate
any other activity that uses a ball or racket, involves rough contact with other players, or requires travel at high speed

Choose sports protective eyewear carefully

Make sure all sports protective eyewear you use meets ASTM (F803) Standards. Ask your eye care professional what specific eyewear meets these standards.
Protective eyewear must be made of the proper materials, and fitted correctly for each wearer. Here's what you should look for:

Padded or rubber bridges to keep the goggles comfortable.
Deep-grooved eyewires to keep the lenses from falling out if the frame is hit hard.
A face-formed shape to provide a wider field of view.
Headband attachments to keep the frames from slipping.
Lenses made from polycarbonate, a type of clear plastic that is impact resistant.
100 percent ultraviolet (UV) protection and a scratch-resistant coating.

Watch out for the sun

UV light from the sun, even in winter, poses a threat to all those particpating in outdoor sports. It contributes to diseases such as cataracts and tumors that affect parts of the eye. Those who spend a lot of time outdoors, like skiers, can also get "sunburn" on their eyes (called keratitis). Keratitis is very painful, and it can cause long-term damage to the retina.

Participate in regular eye exams

To prevent injury and further protect vision, the Vision Council of America also recommends regular comprehensive eye exams. To find an eye doctor in your area, use our Doctor Locator to the left.