WASHINGTON — Springtime is the prime time for eye injuries.
“We do see an increase now that the weather is better,” says Dr. Thomas Yau, an ophthalmologist in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Many of us — adults and kids — are out on the playing field, tennis court or golf course. And that is where sporting equipment or even an errant elbow can do eye damage.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says there are roughly 2.5 million eye injuries in the United States each year. Almost 15 percent — 375,000 — happen while people are playing sports.
“Even the seemingly benign, low-impact type of activities can have a surprising number of injuries,” says Yau, noting that there is even a risk when gardening.
The best way to prevent these injuries is to wear sports goggles or other types of protective eye gear.
“Eye injuries are best prevented rather than fixed,” says Yau, who emphasizes that “simply wearing eye protection can prevent almost all injuries.”
He says gear such as sports goggles or masks can be found online or in sporting goods stores. For people who wear contact lenses, such over-the-counter eye gear is a good choice. But those who wear glasses are probably best off seeing their eye doctor or optician for something prescription-strength.
Sports-related eye injuries run from scratches on the surface of the eye to retinal detachments to inflammation that can cause long-term vision problems.
Yau says proper protective gear is a must for athletes of all ages. Many adults forget this step, but eye specialists think it should be commonplace.
“Certainly, we would like to see a day when using eye protection is as common as using seat belts — just a normal thing that people do.”
