Eye Protection for Sports

Many of the 38,000 sports-related eye injuries reported each year in the U.S. could be prevented.

Ski goggles are a must, and so are face shields (either "cages" or clear polycarbonate shields) for baseball or softball catchers, and hockey, football, and paintball players. All reputable paintball arenas require continuous wear of polycarbonate shields; they remove players who take them off, even for a second.

Parents and coaches should insist that children wear safety eyewear, which is a requirement for participation in Little League. Never use "dress" eyewear during sports. Glasses made for Street or office wear are not made to the same standard as safety eyewear and will probably not hold up under impact Not only will they shatter or bend, but pieces of the lens or frame can cause eye or face injury.

Another danger during outdoor sports, even in winter, is light from the sun. UV light contributes to eye diseases such as cataracts and ocular tumors. You can also get very painful "sunburn" on your eye.

Skiers should always wear tinted goggles or sunglasses, since UV bounces off snow even on cloudy days; sailors, too, need protection from UV reflected off the water.

Some contact lenses offer extra UV blocking. When wearing them, also wear sunglasses, since these contacts cover only the center part of the eye and can't do anything for uncovered areas. Wear a hat with a brim, as well, because it will cover the top opening between sunglasses and your face.