By: Kathy Hubbard
Heads up. The statistics are eye openers. The National Institutes on Health says that every year 600,000 individuals will incur sports and recreational eye related injuries. Roughly 13,500 of these people will permanently lose their sight. Around 42,000 of them will go to the hospital’s emergency department. And look at this: Ninety percent of these injuries are preventable using adequate eye protection.
I’ll give you one more statistic. At least thirty percent of these eye injuries happen to children under the age of sixteen. Probably because less than fifteen percent of kids report wearing eye protection “always” or “most of the time” when participating in their favorite sport.
A report published by The Vision Council called “Eye Safety At-a-Glance can be downloaded from their website. It’s a relatively short report and should be read by all parents of children involved in sports.
“For children 14 and under, baseball is a leading cause of sports-related eye injury. Batted baseballs are 3.5 times more likely to cause eye damage than a pitched ball, yet most players do not use protective eyewear when they are not at bat.
“Basketball is the leading cause of sports-related injury among 15 to 24 year olds. One in 18 college athletes will sustain an eye injury, the odds increase to one in 10 for basketball players.”
Of course, soccer, boxing, hockey, racquet sports and softball are on the list, and let’s not forget non-contact sports like skiing and swimming. Basically, any sport can put your eyes in danger.
Prevent Blindness’ website says to “wear proper safety goggles (lensed polycarbonate protectors) for racquet sports or basketball. In order to be assured that your eyes are protected, it is important that any eye guard or sports protective eyewear are labeled as ASTM F803 approved.”
Wearing batting helmets and face guards when playing baseball or hockey should be a no-brainer. And outdoor athletes should consider UV protection as well. As a matter of fact, Prevent Blindness says, “parents, teachers and coaches should discourage participation in high risk contact sports such as boxing, since adequate eye protection does not yet exist for this sport.”
Vision Source says, “Regular eyeglasses or sunglasses are not strong enough to withstand high-impact forces and may even shatter, causing additional injury. Athletes who wear contact lenses should still use protective eyewear. Wearing properly fitted sports goggles over contacts is the safest way to combine clear vision with strong defense.”
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says that “sports-related eye injuries can range from scratches or bruises on the eyelids to vision-threatening injuries. Some common injuries include corneal abrasions, or scratches on the surface of the eye; bruises on eyelids or skin around the eye, and retinal detachments, which can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated properly.
Also common are “traumatic cataracts; subconjunctival hemorrhage, or blood spots appearing on the eye; internal bleeding; fractures to the bone around the eye; damage to the optic nerve or glaucoma, or open globe injuries, which can lead to permanent vision loss.”
Prevent Blindness says that parents, teachers, school nurses and coaches should familiarize themselves with the warning signs of an eye injury and know when to seek treatment.
I’m pretty certain that no parent wants to tell their child not to play sports. I’m sure they themselves wouldn’t want to stop playing either. But AAO does warn us about already having reduced vision in one eye. They say you should “consider whether it’s worth the risk of injuring your other eye before participating in a high-risk sport.”
They suggest talking to your eye doctor to see what appropriate eye protection there is available and whether they would advise for or against your participation in any high impact or other high risk sports.
And the last word is aimed at those of us attending sporting events. They say, “Spectators at sporting events should also be careful. Balls, bats, and players can end up in the stands at any time. Keep your eyes on the game and watch out for foul balls and other flying objects.”
If an injury occurs, Bonner General Immediate Care or Bonner General Emergency Department will be there to look out for you.
Kathy Hubbard is a member of the Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at [email protected]. This article was written for publication in the Bonner County Daily Bee on September 17, 2025.
