Sports-related injuries happen to us all, but one of the worst kinds of injury is an eye injury. Eye injuries that occur during these activities can also impact a person for a lifetime, so let’s do what we can to protect young athletes by using these seven simple tips:
- Sports-related eye injuries are preventable. Protective eye wear is the best defense against eye injury regardless of the sport or the child’s age.
- Get educated. Coaches, school nurses and parents should perform an eye injury risk assessment associated with available sports before letting children participate.
- Book a protective eye wear consultation. Parents should consult an eye doctor for protective eye wear recommendations before enrolling a child in any sports program. Protective eye wear is available with clear lenses as well as prescription lenses.
- Avoid high risk contact sports. Parents, teachers and coaches should discourage participation in high risk contact sports such as boxing, since adequate eye protection does not yet exist for this sport.
- Sports activities should ALWAYS be under adult supervision. Parents should only enroll their children in organized sports through recreation centers, school districts, community centers, etc. Be sure to ask if there are any adults who are trained for prevention, recognition and immediate care of eye injuries.
- Review eye injury procedures. Meet with your child’s coach or trainer to discuss proper procedures for dealing with an eye injury. Review the implementation plan for these procedures in case an injury occurs.
- Learn the signs. Parents, teachers, school nurses and coaches should familiarize themselves with the warning signs of an eye injury and know when to seek treatment.
