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Free Laser Vision Screening
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Eye injuries can happen to anyone. But over half of the victims are under the age of twenty-five. Many of these injuries, over 100,000 every year, occur during sports or recreational activities. Perhaps the most startling statistic of all is that 90% of all eye injuries could have been prevented. Ophthalmologists advise parents to acquaint themselves with potentially dangerous situations at home and in school. Additionally, parents should insist that their children use protective eyewear when participating in sports or other hazardous activities. Children and sportsSports goggles for basketball, racquet sports and soccer Polycarbonate lenses and plastic fromes designed for greater eye protection are available for children requiring spectacle correction. Some sports in which children should use protective eyewear are:
Contact lenses are not a form of protective eyewear and contact lens wearers require additional protection when participating in sports. In baseball, football, ice hockey and men's lacrosse, a helmet with a polycarbonate (an especially strong, shatterproof, lightweight plastic) face mask should be worn at all times. It is important that hockey face masks be approved by the Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC) or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses and side shields should be worn for basketball, racquet sports and soccer. Choose goggles that have been tested to meet the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards or that pass the CSA racquet sport standard. While skiing, protective glasses or goggles that filter out UV and excessive sunlight can be useful in shielding the eyes from sunburn in addition to providing physical protection. Boxing, wrestling and full contact martial arts pose an extremely high risk of serious and even blinding eye injury from retinal detachment and other causes. No adequate protection is available, since much of the eye trauma is obtained from direct head trauma, although thumbless gloves may reduce the number of direct eye injuries. Parents of a child with permanently reduced vision in one eye should consider the risks of injury to the good eye before allowing their child to participate. Eye safety at home and in the yard.To provide the safest environment for your children, select games and toys that are appropriate for their age and responsibility level. Provide adequate supervision and instruction when your children are handling potentially dangerous items, such as pencils, scissors, forks and knives. Be aware that even common household items such as paper clips, elastic cords, wire coat hangers, rubber bands and fishhooks can cause serious eye injury. Also be aware that snapping towels can also result in serious eye injury. Avoid shooting toys such as darts and bows and arrows. Do not allow your children to play with non-powder rifles, pellet guns or BB guns. They are extremely dangerous and have been reclassified as firearms and removed from toy departments. Keep all chemicals and sprays such as sink cleaners or oven cleaners out of reach of small children. Do not allow children to ignite fireworks or stand near others who are doing so. All fireworks are potentially dangerous for children of all ages. Protective gogglesDo not allow children in the yard while a lawnmower is being operated. Flying stones and debris thrown from moving blades can cause severe eye injuries. Demonstrate the use of protective eyewear to children by always wearing protective eyewear yourself while using power tools, rotary mowers, line lawn trimmers or hammering on metal. Eye safety in schoolWhen participating in shop or some chemistry science labs, students should always wear protective goggles that meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1 safety standard. General eye safety for childrenChildren with good vision in only one eye should always wear protective glasses to protect the good eye even if they do not need glasses otherwise. These lenses should be made of polycarbonate and be 3mm thick. Choosing a plastic or polycarbonate frame will reduce the risk of injury from the frames themselves. Metal frames can have sharp ends if broken, and can cause serious eye damage. Sturdy frames which meet the ANSI industrial standards offer the best available protection for general spectacle wear. Prescription lenses can be fitted into some types of sports goggles, but at present, empty sports goggle frames do not provide adequate protection. When an injury does occurWhen an eye injury does occur, it is always best to have an ophthalmologist (eye physician and surgeon) examine the eye as soon as possible. If unsure, tape a styrofoam cup over the eye so the eye cannot be touched or further damaged. The seriousness of an eye injury may not be immediately obvious. |
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