Why Athletes Should Keep an Eye on Their Eyes

In sports, keeping your eyes safe may be just as important as keeping your eyes on the ball, according to a new study.

That's because this study identified a high rate of sports-related eye injuries in the United States. The study highlighted the importance of wearing appropriate protective eyewear to help prevent eye injuries. 

The researchers behind this study looked at data from millions of emergency department visits from 2010 to 2013. At 900 US hospitals, more than 120,000 people went to the emergency room during that time for eye injuries that came from playing sports.

The injuries ranged from black eyes to broken bones in the eye socket. Even when treated properly, these injuries can cause problems for years.

Some sports were more likely to cause eye injury than others, though. The sports that led to the most injuries in this study were basketball, baseball/softball and shooting air guns. 

Many of the injured patients in this study were young, these researchers noted.

Past research has found that appropriate protective eyewear can decrease the risk of sports-related eye injuries. Speak with your child's pediatrician about how to keep your young athlete healthy and injury-free.

This study was published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

The study authors disclosed no outside funding sources or conflicts of interest.