No question summer is almost everyone’s favorite time of year! Lazy days, family gatherings, vacations and so much more! What could possibly go wrong? Actually a lot, especially when it comes to your eyesight. Many dangers to your eyes can occur when you are enjoying one summer activity or another. In this blog we will consider just a few instances when sports and your eyes don’t mix.
• Baseball and softball. Men, women and children gather to play ball by the millions across America each spring and summer! Leagues abound and appeal to the public with promises of slow-pitch, fast-pitch, Little League, traveling teams and more. Baseball is still considered the all-American sport for good reason and it’s usually all in good fun!
Except when it’s not. Statistics show there are up to 40,000 eye injuries from sports each year and most occur during baseball and basketball play.
So, how to protect your eyes when taking in this summer fun? Actually, optometrists recommend you begin the season with an eye check-up. Many eye injuries occur because the child or adult does not have the correct perception of depth or other vision issues that do not allow them to see accurately when hitting, running and fielding.
A second recommendation is to invest in proper protective eyewear that will prevent even such challenges as dust and debris getting in a player’s eyes when running bases to sliding home. This goes for children and adults!
• The second challenge to eyesight when summer sets in and everyone wants to soak up the sun, whether it be playing volleyball or golfing, swimming and sunbathing, hiking and water sports, is protecting your eyes from the UV (ultraviolet) rays beating down from the sky.
The answer is to invest in quality sunglasses that will filter out these harmful rays and keep your eyesight safe. Once again, it is ‘penny-wise and dollar-foolish’ to purchase sunglasses that make claims to protect your eyes without getting the advice of your knowledgeable and friendly optometrist. One visit can help to ensure a safe and happy summer.
If you are getting ready to start your summer – do it right. Begin with a visit to your Island Eyecare optometrist who will provide you with the expertise necessary to keep your eyes healthy.