Social: #SportEyeSafety

Twitter: @aao_ophth

Facebook: @AmericanAcademyofOphthalmology

Website: aao.org/eyesmart 

More than 25,000 people seek treatment for sports-related eye injuries each year. The good news is that almost all of these injuries can be prevented. Whatever your game, whatever your age, you need to protect your eyes!

Take the following steps to avoid sports eye injuries:

• 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. This eyewear is performance tested to give you the highest levels of protection.

• Use batting helmets with polycarbonate face shields for youth baseball.

• Use helmets and face shields approved by the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association when playing hockey.

• Know that regular glasses don't provide enough protection

American Academy of Ophthalmology 
P.O. Box 7424
San Francisco, CA 94120-7424 
(415) 561-8534 
media@aao.org 
aao.org/eyesmart 
Materials available 
Contact: Beatrice Shelton

Source: 2019 National Health Observances, National Health Information Center, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.