Preventing Sports Related Eye Injuries

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The Michigan Optometric Association
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Preventing Sports Related Eye Injuries

Majority of Sports-Related Eye Injuries are
Preventable with Protective Eyewear

The Michigan Optometric Association is dedicated to
reducing the risk of avoidable eye injuries related to
sports and recreational environments

LANSING, MI, April 2008 – The arrival of spring brings warm weather back to Michigan and with it more outdoor sports and the increased danger of eye injuries. Each year, thousands of sports-related eye injuries occur in the United States. The Michigan Optometric Association [MOA] cautions even casual athletes to protect their sight – and that of teammates – by keeping street eyewear off the playing field and wearing proper protective eyewear instead.

Conventional frames and lenses do not meet the minimum requirements for impact resistance in most sports, which can turn a small collision into a sight-threatening injury, the MOA cautions. Sports-protective eyewear is tested to meet rigid standards and some have been independently verified and received the American Optometric Association [AOA] Seal of Acceptance.

“Thousands of children and adults unnecessarily suffer sports-related eye injuries each year,” said Dr. Jeff Pulk, MOA Secretary/Treasurer and MOA sports vision spokesperson. “Every thirteen minutes, an emergency room in the United States treats a sports related eye injury¹ and nearly all could be prevented by using the proper protective eyewear.”

Some cautionary sports vision statistics include:

Approximately 600,000 documented sports-related injuries are reported each year in the United States. [Tri-Service Vision Conservation and Readiness Program, Eyes (Ears) and Workers Compensation].
More than 42,000 sports-related eye injuries require emergency room attention. [U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission].
An estimated 13,500 cases result in permanent loss of sight. [Protective Eyewear Certification Council].
Approximately 72 percent of sports-related eye injuries occur in people younger than 25 years and approximately 43 percent occur in children younger than 15 years. [U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission].

Sports vision goes beyond choosing the correct protective eyewear. Athletic performance can be diminished and physical injuries are more likely when vision problems, like nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism go uncorrected. The MOA recommends an annual eye exam for anyone who participates in sports.

Just like speed and strength, vision is an important component to athletes. There is much more to vision than just seeing clearly, vision is composed of many interrelated skills. Just as exercise and practice does more than just increasing speed and strength, vision enhancement can also improve your visual fitness and performance for your sport.

A Michigan optometrist with expertise in sports vision can assess a person’s unique visual system – because all sports have different visual demands – and recommend the proper eyeglasses or contact lenses, or design a vision-therapy program to maximize visual skills for a specific sport.

“Eye protection should be of major concern to all athletes, especially in certain high-risk sports,” said Dr. Pulk. “Aside from wearing dress glasses, another problem is when athletes take corrective eyewear off to play sports. They sacrifice visual acuity so they can fit a helmet securely or play without risk of damaging their glasses. This occurs very often and can create an unsafe environment for all participants.”

Sports with a moderate to high risk of eye injury include basketball, baseball, softball, cricket, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, squash, racquetball, fencing, boxing, full-contact martial arts, air rifle, tennis, badminton, soccer, volleyball, water polo, football, fishing, golf and wrestling².

The most common sports vision concerns include:

1. Protection: Athletes' eyes need certified sports protective eyewear that will protect against injury and ultra-violet light.
2. Correction: Spectacle wearers require prescription sports protective eyewear, while contact-lens wearers may need a different lens, during sports. For example, skiers spend their time in cold, dry conditions and need a contact lens that will provide more moisture.
3. Vision enhancement: Athletes often benefit from activities that enhance their eye coordination, reaction time, and perception of their visual environment.

Doctors of optometry are independent primary health care providers who examine, diagnose, treat and manage diseases of the visual system and the eye. Optometrists provide more than two-thirds of the primary eye care services in the United States. They are widely distributed geographically and are readily accessible for the delivery of eye and vision care services.

To locate a Michigan Optometric Association doctor, please visit www.themoa.org and click the Vision Care tab.

¹US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Sports and Recreational Eye Injuries. Washington, D.C.: US Consumer Product Safety Commission; 2000

²Vinger PF. A practical guide for sports eye protection. Phys Sports Med. 2000; 28(6)

[Editor’s note: To schedule an interview with Dr. Jeffery Pulk, OD, please contact Rita Sitto at (313) 567-5008.]

[Please note that the latest version of the AP Stylebook indicates optometrists should be referenced with the title of Dr.]

About the Michigan Optometric Association

The mission of the Michigan Optometric Association is to unite all licensed optometrists and be the representative voice for the profession of optometry in Michigan. The association provides education, information and other member services to assist optometrists in practicing successfully in accordance with the highest standards of patient care; works to advance the quality and accessibility of optometric services throughout the state and seeks to ensure the recognition of optometrists as the primary providers of vision and related eye health care.

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