How Do I Protect My Eyes While Playing Sports?

The ways in which an unprotected eye may be injured in a sporting event are many. But there are also many ways in which we can protect them. It is especially important that children who are learning to coordinate or who have low skill levels wear protective eye gear. To reduce the risk of a serious eye injury, here are some precautions you should be taking when playing sports.

Baseball. In the event of an errant pitch, a ball lost in the sun or a thrown bat, a baseball player should wear a face-guard made of a sturdy plastic or polycarbonate material along with eye goggles or eye guards.

Basketball. Basketball players should wear eye goggles at all times in the event of an errant elbow, a stray poke from another player’s finger, or even an errantly thrown basketball.

Soccer and football. Like other contact sports, an errant elbow, ball, foot, or finger can cause serious damage to the unprotected eye. Players should wear sports eye guards and, in football, a full faceguard should also be worn.

Hockey. Ever get a good look at a hockey player’s teeth? Imagine such damage to your eyes. Sticks, pucks, and elbows all fly freely during a hockey match, and a player should wear a full polycarbonate material or wire mask to prevent eye and other possible facial injuries.

Tennis or racquetball. To protect your eyes from a ball, or your opponent’s racquet, protective eye goggles should be worn at all times while playing these sport.