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2130 Mountain View Avenue, Ste. 207
Longmont, CO 80501-3177
Phone 303-772-2755
September is Sports and Home Eye Safety Month
According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in school-aged children. And, most of those injuries are sports-related. In fact, every 13 minutes, an emergency room in the United States treats a sports-related eye injury, many of them children. Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has designated September as Sports and Home Eye Safety Month. More than 40,000 people are treated for potentially blinding sports-related eye injuries every year, many of them children. However, the good news is that 90 percent of the injuries are preventable.
As an example, in 2002, there were more U.S. emergency room visits due to eye injuries suffered while playing basketball than any other sport. Basketball was followed by water or pool activities, and baseball/softball. Drs. Mees & Kaminski recommend the Hoya Phoenix or PPG Trivex lens material as the material of choice for eye protection. Not only do these special plastics meet or exceed the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) label for safety, but they are more scratch resistant and are optically the best products on the market. This means your child will see her best!
It is equally important to protect your eyes around the house, when working with power tools or mowing the lawn. There are many things parents can do to protect themselves and their children from accidents in the home. Keeping detergents, cleaning supplies, nail polish remover, mouthwash and makeup out of the reach of children at all times can help to avoid eye injuries. Also, setting a good example by wearing eye protection while working on projects in the garage and keeping kids away from power tools, solvents, screwdrivers, glues, etc., are some of the many things adults can do to protect themselves and others.
Longmont Colorado Eye Doctor and member of ColoradoVisionSource
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