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A Little Prevention Goes a Long Way

Injuries are a risk we all take when participating in sports. Sprained ankles, broken bones, bruises – they are all par for the course.

So are injuries to the eye. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 40,000 eye injuries occur in the United States during sports or recreational activities each year, some of which will lead to irreversible vision loss. That’s an eye-related emergency room visit every 13 minutes. The vast majority of these injuries occur in athletes under the age of 25.

However, 90% of these injuries are preventable with the proper use of existing eye protection on the playing field.

As spring sports gear up, make sure you protect the sight of yourself and your team by keeping street eyewear off the playing field. Conventional frames and lenses often do not meet the minimum requirements for impact resistance in most sports, which can turn a small collision into a sight-threatening injury.

There are well-defined standards for protective eyewear for the playing field. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) sets standards for protective eyewear in many of the top American sports. When shopping for products for your athlete, make sure the equipment conforms to the following ASTM specifications: