MAY 1999

Sports Eye Safety

An estimated 100,000 sports-related eye injuries occur each year in the United States. In the United States, the sports that most often produce eye injuries are also the most popular — racquet sports, baseball and basketball. According to a 1991 study by Jonathan Stock and F. Michael Cornell, the risk of eye injury in these and other sports varies with the participant’s age.
Children (5 to 12 years of age)
Baseball
Basketball
Soccer
BB gun injuries
Adolescents (13 to 21 years of age)
Basketball
Football
Ice hockey
Soccer
Adults (21 years of age and older)
Racquetball
Squash
Tennis
Badminton
Common sports eye injuries:
  • Scratched cornea
  • Fractured eye socket
  • Inflamed iris
  • Blood in the eye¹s anterior chamber
  • Swollen retina
  • Traumatic cataract

So what can you do to protect yourself or your child from sustaining a sports eye injury? The Sight & Hearing Association recommends that athletes wear sports eyeguards when participating in sports. Check to see that the eye protector is made of polycarbonate material (the most impact resistant), and that it fits right (not too tight or too loose).

1999 Copyright, Sight & Hearing Association, All Rights Reserved