April is Sports Eye Safety Month, and not a moment too soon: Spring is when players of all stripes are headed out into the fields or onto the courts to face off in spirited gamesmanship.
The easiest way to up your game? Making sure an injury doesn’t take you out of it. Here are our four favorite ways to protect your eyes while you engage in healthy competition.
- Put up a barrier.
One of the most effective ways to prevent eye injuries is to place a physical barrier between your eyes and the environment. High-quality sports goggles are inexpensive and keep your eyes protected from common sports hazards:
- Ball
- Bat or racquet
- Hands and elbows
- Dust, dirt and grasses
Another frequently overlooked threat to vision is sunlight. Overexposure to bright UV light can not only cause temporary blindness but can also increase the risks of eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, eye cancer and more. Protect your eyes any time you’re outdoors with UV-light-blocking sunglasses.
- Rub out rubbing!
It’s a stubbornly difficult habit to break but worth the effort. Rubbing can cause microabrasions on the eye, which can lead to blurriness, redness and sometimes infections. Try to get out of the habit of rubbing by using a few easy tricks:
- Try to catch yourself before you rub your eyes and resist the urge.
- Keep gentle, soothing eye drops nearby at all times to relieve itching or dryness instead of rubbing.
- When necessary, soothe irritation with a warm compress over the eye. A soft washcloth soaked in warm water works well.
Some people find it helps to wear a colorful ring or gloves as a reminder not to rub their eyes. Just make sure this visual cue does not in itself present an eye injury risk!
- Follow eyewear guidelines.
Never put anything on or in your eyes that was not prescribed specifically to you by your eye doctor. That includes novelty contact lenses and other people’s prescription glasses or contacts.
It is also vital to follow your eye doctor’s instructions on eyewear use, particularly if you wear contact lenses. Wear contacts only for the amount of time prescribed (daily, weekly, 30-day), clean them according to the recommended schedule, and never sleep in contacts.
- Monitor Your Vision and Consider LASIK
If you want to maintain great eyesight and prevent injury, first be sure you are starting with the best vision possible. Sharp vision will help you navigate the field, court or course safely so you can avoid all types of sports injuries. This is why it is so important to get annual eye exams.
Your ophthalmologist will use sophisticated diagnostic equipment to get a detailed view of every feature and structure of the eye. The eye doctor will also conduct a vision test to determine if you have a refractive error that can be fixed with a vision correction procedure like LASIK.
As a patient-focused, technology-forward Detroit LASIK practice, Lake Lazer Eye Center specializes in SoftTouch LASIK and the SMILE procedure to help patients who are nearsighted, farsighted and even those with astigmatism.
Dr. Khambati works with athletes at all skill levels to help them protect their eyes and achieve their best possible vision through modern vision correction. This allows many athletes – from professionals like basketball star Andre Drummond to weekend warriors – to eliminate the need for glasses and contacts from their daily routines.
Lake Lazer Eye Center offers up-front pricing, and convenient and affordable payment plans for SoftTouch LASIK and the SMILE procedure. Dr. Khambati has helped thousands of people from all over the world escape the restrictions of glasses and contacts. In the event that you’re not a candidate for vision correction, we’ll assist you with a contact lens evaluation or a selection of designer and specialty eyewear.
