“In each and every Alabama sports program we need to be
sure our athletes are using the best eye protection and protective eyewear to
avoid eye injury,” commented Birmingham
Ophthalmologist Tyler Hall, M.D. “Sometimes in
the pursuit of excellence in sports performance our athletes can be a little
lax in taking the necessary steps to avoiding eye injury," expressed Dr. Hall
of Alabama Eye & Cataract Center.
April is Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month and the American Academy of Ophthalmology asks
eye doctors to remind our community that 40,000 people suffer from eye injuries
related to sports every year. These eye injuries from sports can be
devastating, and the only way to prevent them is by wearing protective eyewear.
Many sports create risk for eye injuries which can include abrasions of the
cornea and bruises of the lids, retinal detachments and internal bleeding. The
most serious risks involve permanent vision loss along with infection. In
addition, patients who have sustained eye injuries are at greater risk for
developing glaucoma.
Athletes need to use the eye protection that is available
for most sports, including basketball, baseball, hockey, football, lacrosse,
fencing, paintball, water polo, golf and others. “I counsel and reassure my
patients that wearing properly fitted protective eyewear will not harm your
performance, and it may well save your eye health and vision,” said Dr. Hall. “Something
to be aware of is that most sporting leagues and program don’t require children
to wear eye protection, so parents should take special care to ensure their
children wear eye protection.”
Tens of
thousands of sports and recreation-related eye injuries occur each year. The
good news is that 90 percent of serious eye injuries are preventable through
use of appropriate protective eyewear. The risk of eye injury can vary
depending on the activity. Make sure the level of eye protection you or others
in your family use is appropriate for the type of activity. Regular eyeglasses do not offer proper eye
protection. Athletes need to wear appropriate,
sport-specific protective eyewear properly fitted by an eye care professional.
Lenses made from polycarbonate materials provide the highest level of impact
protection; they can withstand a ball or other projectile traveling at 90 miles
per hour.
If you or someone you know has questions or would like help
in selecting, fitting or choosing sports protective eyeglasses, please call Alabama
Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or
facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.
Michelson
Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers
in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are
fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all
board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as
Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye
examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens
implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction,
diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care
for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular
degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses
and eyewear.
