Earlier, athletes rarely wore eyewear to protect their eyes while playing sports and injuries such as scratched eyes were common. Today, sports eyewear is used by almost anyone who picks up a bat, ball or hockey stick. It enhances the performance of the player by letting him or her see better and also reduces the risk of eye damage.
Focus West Optometry has been providing comprehensive eye exams and eyewear products since 1997. Our optometrists are licensed and well experienced. Let’s discuss why wearing safety eyewear is crucial and what kind of eye gear to go for while you engage in sports.
What Is the Importance of Sports Eyewear?
Eye injuries can cause several problems and could lead to permanent eye damage. Eye injuries are usually caused due to pokes and jabs by elbows or fingers, majorly in games played in close proximity. Most of the eye injuries that occur while playing sports can be prevented by wearing sports eyewear.
Protective eye gear is available in different shapes and sizes. Some of it is even designed to fit into helmets. The lenses used in sports eyewear are made of polycarbonate, which is an impact-resistant lens material. They also have UV protection to safeguard eyes from the sun. It also includes a scratch-resistant coating so visibility isn’t affected by wear and tear.
The eye gear frame is also important as it offers safety and comfort. The frames will be coated with rubber padding at all points that touch your face. Some lenses are designed to wrap around the face to provide secure coverage for extreme sports such as hang-gliding.
Some sports need more vision safety than the others. Sports where safety is a major concern are archery, hockey, lacrosse and snowboarding. You can find specialized goggles or face masks alongside other equipment for such sports.
For sports such as basketball, tennis and biking, polycarbonate goggles are a good option.
Crucial Fitting Considerations
Sports eyewear must be a proper fit for each wearer. This is more important with children as parents tend to buy larger goggles thinking that the youngster has room to grow. If the frames are oversized, the eyewear won’t protect the eyes effectively, which can lead to injuries.
Review the eyewear each year to ensure the fit is comfortable and they provide good protection. Ensure the padding of the goggle rests properly on your face.
Let Us Help You Find the Right Sports Eyewear
At Focus West Optometry, we deliver a range of options to correct vision deficits and protect your vision. We provide prescription sunglasses, lenses and frames along with a variety of contact lenses. Whether it’s the latest eyewear in fashion or advanced contact lens technology, you can always count on our optometrists when you visit us.
Call us to learn more about how we can protect your vision.
