Playing sports is a great way to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, because participating in sports sometimes requires intense physical activity, it’s important that you take precautions so that you don’t get injured. In fact, one common sports-related injury that many people aren’t aware of is eye injuries. More than 42,000 people visit the emergency room for eye injuries every year, and thousands experience those eye injuries as a result of playing sports.

To help spread awareness about eye injury prevention, April was designated as Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Eye Injury Prevention Tips

There are many ways that you can injure one or both of your eyes while playing sports, whether it’s getting hit by a ball or making physical contact with an opponent. With that in mind, the following are a few tips to help prevent eye injuries while playing sports:

• Don’t wear regular glasses. Regular glasses are not designed to withstand physical contact and can easily be damaged or broken if they get hit. Not to mention, if they do break, they can cause cuts to your eye. If you plan to play sports, wear your contacts or special sports glasses instead.
  
• Wear protective eyewear. Wearing protective eyewear is the best way to prevent eye injuries. Look for goggles or glasses that are made specifically for the sport you’re playing. Any sport that involves a ball, such as racquetball, baseball, squash, or basketball, should be played with protective eyewear.
  
• Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to your environment when playing any type of sport. Even if you’re not actively participating but are on the sidelines, it’s important to pay attention to where the players are and where the ball is (if one is being used).
  
• Wear the required safety gear. If you’re participating in a sport that typically requires a helmet, such as baseball or skateboarding, wear a helmet.

Protect Yourself When Playing Sports

Use these eye injury prevention tips when playing sports in California. For more safety awareness information, visit us at The Benefits Store today.