Now that the new school year is here, many student athletes are getting back into their sports. Participating in a sport can be thrilling and challenging, but it’s also potentially dangerous. Every year, over 30,000 Americans receive medical treatment for sports-related eye injuries—but with the right protective eyewear, many of those injuries can be prevented. Let's take a look at the most injury-prone sports and why protective eyewear is so important.
Baseball and Softball
Baseball and softball are some of the most common culprits when it comes to sports-related eye injuries; in fact, they account for 40 percent of all such incidents. This is largely due to the fact that hard objects—like baseballs and softballs—are frequently used (and often traveling at high speeds). A single impact can cause a scratched cornea or even blindness if not immediately treated. In order to protect against such damage, athletes should wear either shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses or face masks designed specifically for these two sports.
Racquet Sports
Racquet sports like tennis, squash, and badminton often require players to move quickly around the court in order to hit an incoming ball before it goes out of bounds. Unfortunately, this means that players may not always have enough time to react if a ball accidentally hits them in the face. To make sure that your eyes stay safe during racquet sports, you should wear goggles or glasses with polycarbonate lenses—these lenses are designed to absorb impacts from high-speed objects like balls without breaking apart into sharp pieces. Additionally, wearing lightweight frames will help make sure you don’t have any distractions while playing on the court.
Hockey and Lacrosse
Hockey and lacrosse are contact sports that involve sticks as well as fast-moving balls or pucks; as such, they too pose a significant risk of eye injury if proper protection isn't taken. For both hockey and lacrosse players alike, it's recommended that you wear full face masks made out of strong materials (like titanium) along with shatterproof polycarbonate lenses in order to reduce your risk of injury while playing these two popular sports. Additionally, players may want to consider investing in a visor or half shield for extra protection from flying debris during games or practice drills.
Eye safety should never be taken lightly during any sporting activity; after all, your vision is invaluable! Fortunately, there are many types of protective eyewear available on the market today that can help reduce your risk of injury while engaging in physical activity. Whether you’re playing baseball/softball, racquet sports like tennis or squash, hockey/lacrosse—or any other sport—it’s essential that you always wear protective eyewear whenever you’re participating in any physical activity outside of gym class! Doing so could save your eyesight!
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