Eye injuries are the greatest risk to our young patients for loss of vision. Twenty-seven percent of eye injuries occur during sports and recreation. This number increases to 40% for children ages 11-14. The good news is that 90% of these eye injuries are preventable according to Prevent Blindness America. That is why it is so important to discuss protective sports eyewear with all of our young patients.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 50% of all children are involved in organized sports. Most of these sports involve body contact, bats and balls, which put the eye at risk. For children aged 0 to 14, baseball is the most common cause of eye injuries. This switches to basketball for children 15 to 24. Eye injuries are quickly increasing in soccer. Also, eye injuries in sports are not related to expertise.

Almost all groups that are involved in child safety and eye care recommend the utilization of protective sports eyewear. They include the American Optometric Association, The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, Safe Kids, Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute.

The National Eye Institute felt so strongly about this that they included the increased use of protective sports eyewear as one of their ten vision objectives in Healthy People 2010 - Objective 28.9. It is, therefore, clear that sports eye safety is a public health issue that could prevent the needless loss of sight.

The State of New Jersey also felt the need to protect children’s eyes in their state. So much so that they passed a bill to mandate protective sports eyewear for particular sports organized by schools and in their communities. They have basically outlawed the use of street eyewear on the playing fields of New Jersey.

Florida has recently passed a resolution to encourage coaches, schools and parents to have children in their State protect their eyes during sports.

Protective sports eyewear now has a spokesperson - Amar’e Stoudemire, a NBA All-Star who plays for the Phoenix Suns. Amar’e had experienced an eye injury in training camp and then wore protective sports eyewear for several weeks. Unfortunately, he stopped wearing them and reinjured his eye which ended his season and jeopardized his career. At the recent Vision Summit, organized by the Better Vision Institute, Amar’e spoke about his commitment to wearing protective sports eyewear and stated that he will also urge others to wear them too so that they do not experience the near tragedy that happened to him.

Interestingly, the Vision Service Plan conducted a study and found that 48% of the time young people take off their glasses to play sports. Obviously without their glasses they do not see as well and are then more likely to suffer an eye injury. Another fact is that when someone does wear their regular glasses, the injuries are more severe as there is another object that can go into the eye.

So what can you do? It is actually quite simple. Just follow the three I’s to protect your patients’ eyes: Inquire, Inform, Introduce.

Inquire: you should ask all patients, but particularly your young patients, if they play sports. This question can be asked on your intake form, which could be filled out online or in the office. Your technician can ask it in the pre-test room, which is what I do in my office, or the doctor can ask the question. The doctor should also follow up with more in-depth questions such as, “How serious are you about sports? Which sports? What position do you play? Are you on a town team or a traveling team?” This is also an excellent way to build rapport. 

After you determine that they play sports, that leads to the next question, “How do they see when they play?” If they do not wear contacts, they either play with their glasses or take them off. Obviously either answer leads to a discussion about protective sports eyewear and contacts.

The next step is to Inform. Discuss the risks involved with wearing glasses while playing sports and discuss the risks of their particular sport. Prevent Blindness America has a chart that can be helpful. I also point out that every 13 minutes someone experiences an eye injury of the severity that it requires a trip to the emergency room.

The final step is to Introduce. Create a Sports Eye Injury Prevention Center in your office. There is signage available and sports paraphernalia that could easily create an attractive area in your dispensary. Your optician or optical staff can then discuss the best sports protective eyewear for their sport, of course, with polycarbonate lenses.

As sports are played inside and outside, we often suggest photochromic or Transitions™ lenses. I also suggest writing two prescriptions – one for street eyewear and the other for protective sports eyewear.

Another activity that is quite helpful is to have an office meeting on this topic and educate your staff. There is also more information available at www.sportseyeinjuries.com 

You can also reach out to teams, coaches and schools about this important public health message. 

In addition, documenting your recommendation to wear protective sports eyewear in your patient’s chart is important. It will protect you, your practice and your family, as one in twelve families who experience a sports related eye injury will look into legal action.

When we and our children play sports, we wear protective gear – elbow pads, shin guards, shoulder pads, etc. but most of us do not wear or even suggest to our patients to wear protective sports eyewear. I ask you the simple question, which is more tragic, a bruised shin or a visually impaired eye?

So it is easy. We don’t often think about it, but the most important thing we can discuss with our young patients is eye protection. So follow the three I’s so you do not have to see your patient after they have suffered an eye injury. Let your office decrease sports eye injuries in your community. 

Paul Berman
OD, FAAO