What You Need to Know
A sprained ankle cannot change a child's life, but an eye
injury can. As sports participation statistics continue to climb, the number of
athletes who fall victim to eye injuries has the potential to grow at alarming
rates.The impact of a ball or other equipment as well as an opponent's hands
and elbows pose a threat to an athlete's visual safety. Regardless of an
individual's age or skill level, every athlete's eyes are targets for injury.
Belill Eye Care is a certified Sports Injury Prevention
Center. It is our duty to inform and educate the public about this important
issue. Despite the consensus support from the medical community and United
States government for the use of protective sports eyewear, the majority of
athletic programs, coaches, schools, parents and athletes remain unaware that a
problem even exists. And every thirteen minutes an emergency room treats
another preventable sports eye injury.
It is a virtual certainty that the use of proper
protective eyewear for risk-prone sports will eventually be legally mandated.
However, the legislation is a long process. Consider that it took DECADES for
mandated use of seat belts, car seats and bicycle helmets. Even though most
youth sport leagues currently do not require the use of eye protection, parents
and coaches must insist that ALL children who play sports use proper protective
eyewear, not just those who normally wear ordinary glasses or contact lenses.
It is especially important for student athletes who have normal vision in only
one eye.
Whether you are a parent, coach, or athletic director, you
can encourage schools to adopt a policy on protective eyewear and be a good
role model by wearing it yourself. By providing your children with proper
protective sports eyewear, you can help prevent them from becoming another
statistic.
FREQUENT
§ Every 13 minutes in the United States, an E.R.
treats a sports-related eye injury.
§ More than 600,000 injuries related to sports
and recreation occur each year.
§ 27% of all eye injuries of sports-related (40%
for kids between ages of 11-14).
§ Over 50% of children play organized sports.
§ School-aged competitors are particularly prone
to eye injuries since their athletic skills (hand-eye coordination, balance,
reaction time and speed) are still developing. Consider that 66% of all sports
eye injuries occur in participants between ages of 5-24).
§ Baseball is the leading cause of eye injuries
in children 14 and under.
§ Basketball is the leading cause of eye
injuries among 15 to 24 year olds.
§ One-in-eighteen college athletes sustain an
eye injury each season. The odds increase to one-in-ten for basketball players.
§ Sports with highest rates of eye injuries
include -
basketball, water sports, baseball/softball, Guns (air, BB), football, bicycling, racquet sports, golf, exercising/weightlifting, winter sports, and soccer.
basketball, water sports, baseball/softball, Guns (air, BB), football, bicycling, racquet sports, golf, exercising/weightlifting, winter sports, and soccer.
SEVERE
§ Eye Injuries are the leading cause of
BLINDNESS in children and most injuries occuring in school-aged children are
sports-related.
§ Approximately 13,500 legally blinding sports
eye injuries occur each year.
§ Categories of Eye Injuries : blunt trauma,
penetrating, radiation
§ The one-eyed athlete is 150 times more likely
to go completely blind than an athlete with two fully functioning eyes.
§ Eye injury is the leading cause of visual
impairment in one eye.
§ Playing high risk sports without certified
protective eyewear is one of the greatest dangers to a child's vision.
§ Types of eye injuries: Corneal abrasion,
fractured orbital bone, eyelid laceration, ruptured eyeball, blood seepage into
eyeball, iris tear, retinal detachment, optic nerve tear
PREVENTABLE
§ An estimated 85% of children do NOT utilize
protective sports eyewear in situations that present a risk of eye injury.
(Contact lenses, ordinary glasses, or sunglasses do NOT protect against eye
injuries).
§ Protective sports eyewear may prevent up to
90% of sports-related eye injuries.
§ Protective sports eyewear are eyeglass frames
or goggles specifically designed to meet or exceed the appropriate ASTM
(American Society for Testing and Materials) certified impact protective
standards. Lenses in protective sports eyewear must be made of
polycarbonate or Phoenix plastic material. These are impact resistant and
shield eyes from harmful UV radiation.
§ Protective sports eyewear should be fitted by
an eyecare professional to be sport-specific and comfortable on the face. With
many new styles and colors available, protective sports eyewear is no longer
geeky. It is effective AND stylish.
§ BEWARE: Studies show that children
participating in sports wearing ordinary glasses or sunglasses (those that do
not meet ASTM certified protective standards) are at a far more severe risk of
serious eye injury that participants using no eye protection at all.
§ Increasing the use of protective eyewear in
sports is an objective of the National Health Institute's "Healthy People
2020" initiative. This document states the health goals of our country.
§ The use of protective eyewear for all
participants during sports in which there is a risk of eye injury is strongly
recommended by the following groups: American Academy of Pediatrics, American
Academy of Ophthalmology, American Optometric Association, National Eye
Institute, Prevent Blindness America, International Federation of Sports
Medicine.
§ Despite the fact that the medical community and
the federal government have made their positions clear, the majority of
athletic programs, schools, coaches, parents and players aren't even aware that
sports eye injuries are a problem.
§ A recent market sampling in Michigan showed
that 97% of high schools do not have a Sports Vision Program
§ We all know how seriously a coach, athletic
director and school system view their responsibility to protect their
athletes. Kids wouldn't be allowed to play their sport without the proper
protective equipment (elbow pads, shin guards, face masks, mouth guards). Yet
there is no policy to protect eyes. We protect our children against broken
bones and bruises - why not protect them from blindness too?
§ Currently, most youth leagues do not require
the use of protective sports eyewear. Parents and coaches must insist that all children who
play should use protective sports eyewear - not just those who wear ordinary
glasses or contact lenses. For those children that need ordinary glasses,
protective sports eyewear can be made to match their prescription.
§ Now that you are
educated - take action to help prevent a child from becoming a statistic.
Whether you are a parent, coach, or teacher - you can encourage schools to
adopt a mandatory policy on protective sports eyewear. Meanwhile, besides
ensuring that all children who play protect their eyes - also be a good role
model by wearing it yourself.
§ Protective sports eyewear is similar to seat
belts, car seats, and bicycle helmets. Even though in some cases not very
popular, they are vital pieces of equipment that protect children from serious
injury.
§ Make it clear to
school-aged athletes: if they do not wear proper protective sports eyewear,
then they DO NOT PLAY.
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