by Steven A. Queenan EYE PROTECTION FOR

by Steven A. Queenan
EYE PROTECTION FOR ATHLETES
he National Eye Institute
(NEI) reports that most of the
eye injuries that occur among
school-aged
children
are
sports-related. Because eye
injuries are the leading cause
of blindness in children, it is
important that parents and
coaches do everything they can
to prevent such injuries. While
baseball is the sport responsible
for the greatest number of eye
injuries in children aged 14 and
younger, and basketball is the
sport that records the highest
number of eye injuries for
those ages 15 to 24, even such
non-contact sports as badminton
are inherently dangerous to
athletes’ eyes. With this in mind,
athletes of all ages are strongly
encouraged to wear shatter-proof
polycarbonate sports goggles.
T
T
he kind of eyewear your
child will need depends on
the sport he or she is playing.
Consult with your eye doctor
and the child’s coach to find out
what type of protective eyewear
is best. For more information,
call REGIONAL EYE OPTICAL
at 587-6309, or visit our website
www.regeyecenter.com. We are
located just inside Regional Eye
Center at 1455 Montreal Street.,
S.E. Our business hours are
Mon. & Thurs., 8:00am-7:30pm;
Tues. & Wed., 8:00am-5:30pm;
and Fri., 8:00am-1:00pm.
P
.S. Polycarbonate has built-in
protection from ultraviolet
(UV) light, which is a valuable
feature for athletes playing
outdoor sports.