With the warm summer weather setting in, your kiddos are probably headed back to the daily grind of soccer, lacrosse, football, and field hockey. In honor of Sports Eye Safety Awareness, Hospitality Health ER in Tyler and Longview is encouraging parents and coaches to make sure their young athletes protect their eyes and properly gear up for practices and games. Because ninety percent of sports-related eye injuries can be avoided with the use of protective eyewear, it should be required as part of the team uniform.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, thousands of people experience an eye injury while participating in athletics and recreational activities every year. In fact, eye injuries that occur during sports account for an estimated 42,000 emergency room visits annually.
How to Prevent Eye Injuries in Our Community
Here’s what Hospitality Health ER and the National Eye Institute recommends to encourage eye safety in our community:
#1: Encourage ALL children who play sports to wear safety eyewear. Because many sports leagues do not require eye protection, parents and coaches are encouraged to guide their children to wearing protective eyewear such as safety glasses or goggles whenever they are practicing or playing a game. Even if your children wear glasses or contact lenses, they should still wear protective eyewear. Safety goggles and glasses can be made to match their prescriptions.
#2: Select the right protective eyewear. Today you can find ultra-strong polycarbonate, which offers ten times more impact resistance over other plastics while not interfering with the player’s vision.
#3: Get schools and leagues to get involved. Parents, teachers, and other community members can encourage schools and sports leagues to include policies on protective eyewear in their athletic programs.
Ever wonder about how much water or electrolytes your kids should drink during games or practice? Read Hospitality Health ER’s sports-related parenting blogs on Preventing Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalance.
