Eye Injury

Sports Eye Injuries

October 22, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

October is Eye Injury Prevention Month. As we have explained in recent weeks, the goal of this month is to spread awareness of the very real threat of eye injuries and the proper methods to prevent those injuries. This week we are going to address one specific segment of eye injuries: Sports Eye Injuries.

Sports Eye Injury Statistics

Sports are the leading cause of eye injuries.
Of the 1 million eye injuries that occur every year in the United States, 600,000 are sports related.
A sports-related eye injury occurs every 13 minutes that requires an emergency room visit.
Baseball and basketball are two of the most common sports to lead to eye injury. Hockey, boxing, and racquet sports round out the list.
85% of children do not wear protective eyewear while playing sports.
Sports eye injuries are one of the most common causes of childhood blindness.

Don’t let your child become a statistic; make sure they are properly protected. And, if an eye injury does occur, seek medical attention right away. Call your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist – immediately to schedule an eye exam. Or, if the injury is severe, visit the emergency room right away. Eye injuries are serious and require prompt medical attention.

Types of Sports Eye Injuries

Blunt Trauma: Responsible for the majority of sports eye injuries, blunt trauma occurs when an object, such as a ball, bat, puck, stick, or even another player, strikes the eye. Serious injury can result. The most common include: orbital blowout fracture, detached retina, ruptured globe, and traumatic optic neuropathy.
Corneal Abrasion: Corneal abrasion occurs when dirt or some other foreign object enters the eye and scratches the cornea, leading to tearing, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and the constant feeling of needing to rub the eye.
Penetrating Injuries: Typically caused by broken glass or fingernails, penetrating injuries are less common, but still possible.

If you have any questions about Sports Eye Injuries and Protective Eyewear, or if you wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

The Importance of Protective Eyewear

October 17, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

As we explained last week, October is Eye Injury Prevention Month. The goal of this month is to spread awareness of the very real threat of eye injuries and the proper methods to prevent those injuries. In fact, of the 1 million people who suffer an eye injury every year in the United States, most could have been avoided with the use of Protective Eyewear.

The Importance of Protective Eyewear

Eye injuries can happen anytime and anywhere. And you may be surprised to learn that nearly half (44.7 percent) of all eye injuries occur in the home. So it’s important to invest in and regularly use protective eyewear.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Ocular Trauma (ASOT) recommend having AT LEAST one pair of protective eyewear in the home and to use the eyewear often.

According to The Vision Council, a remarkable 90% of Eye Injuries could be prevented with protective eyewear that meets the Z87.1 standard set by the American National Standards Institute.

The lenses should be made from polycarbonate
The lenses should be scratch resistant as to not block vision
Lenses should also provide 100 percent ultraviolet (UV) protection
Protective eyewear should be equipped with padded or rubber bridges to ensure comfort
Finally, protective eyewear should be face-formed to provide a wider field of view.

Protective eyewear should have deep-grooved eyewires to keep the lenses from falling out if the frame is impacted.
Protective eyewear should have headband attachments to keep the frames from slipping.

“Slipping on a pair of safety glasses is quick and easy,” said ASOT President Ferenc Kuhn, MD, PhD. “Unfortunately, compared to other commonsense safety steps such as wearing seatbelts, using protective eyewear does not happen frequently enough.”

Be safe. Be prepared. Wear protective eyewear.

If you have any questions about Eye Injury Prevention and Protective Eyewear, or if you wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Sources:

Eye Protection The Vision Council