Special feature
Preventing sports-related
eye injury
By Denis Langlois
Research over the past decade shows the incidence of Data in this area appears to be more regularly compiled
sports-related eye injuries remains a significant con- in the United States, where the National Institutes of
cern in Canada. Health’s National Eye Institute says more than 100,000
A population-based study by the Canadian Journal of
Ophthalmology concluded the rate of eye injuries in
sports-related eye injuries occur annually, and 42,000
of those injuries require an emergency room visit.
Canada is “extremely high,” with nearly 10 per cent of While the above information is worrisome, the Cana-
participants indicating their ocular injury happened dian Association of Optometrists says research also
while playing sports. indicates that 90 per cent of all eye injuries that happen
An official with the Canadian National Institute for
while playing sports are preventable.
the Blind stated in 2016 that the organization believes That reinforces what eye care professionals have been
sports eye injuries are the largest cause of vision loss in saying for ages - that protective eyewear should always
children. be considered part of a person’s sports equipment, just
like helmets or shin pads.
32 Optical Prism | March 2020