Prevent Blindness has declared September as Sports Eye Safety Month amid a 33% increase in sports-related eye injuries treated in the U.S. in 2024. This year, they created a handy new resource page for ODs, starting with these pertinent and specific patient education points:
- Wear proper safety goggles (lensed polycarbonate protectors) for racquet sports or basketball. In order to be assured that your eyes are protected, it is important that any eye guard or sports protective eyewear are labeled as ASTM F803 approved. This eyewear is performance tested to give you the highest levels of protection.
- Use batting helmets with polycarbonate face shields for youth baseball.
- Use helmets and face shields approved by the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association when playing hockey.
- Know that regular glasses don’t provide enough protection.
At the site, you’ll find a host of other education tips you can share to keep patients and families in the know, including recommended eye protectors and tips for buying them, essential first aid for eye emergencies, and steps everyone in the community (particularly parents, teachers, school nurses, and coaches) can take to prevent sports eye injuries.
Charting the numbers: Sports-Related Eye Injuries by Age Group
Click the link above to see the full breakdown — the top five offenders in order are basketball, projectile or flying toys, soccer, swimming (activity, pools, equipment), and exercise and equipment.
Prevent Blindness also shared some of the injuries you might be looking at without proper protection, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology:
- Corneal abrasions, or scratches on the surface of the eye
- Bruises on eyelids or skin around the eye
- Retinal detachments, which can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated promptly
- Traumatic cataracts
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage, or blood spots appearing on the eye
- Internal bleeding
- Fractures to the bone around the eye
- Damage to the optic nerve or glaucoma
- Open globe injuries, which can lead to permanent vision loss
“Fortunately, most eye injuries can be avoided by wearing the proper eye protection, including while playing sports,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO at Prevent Blindness. “By taking the proper precautions and consistently wearing sports protection recommended by an eye care professional, we can keep our vision and eyes healthy today and for some years to come.”
Browse Prevent Blindness Sports Eye Safety Month resources here.
