Are you a sports fan? There’s a good chance you’ve seen some of your favorite athletes wearing equipment to protect themselves – things like shoulder pads, mouth guards, and helmets. But protective eye coverings and eyewear might be a little less common on the field or court. Protecting your eyes while playing sports is vitally important; unfortunately, protective eyewear is an afterthought for many athletes. Keep your head in the game: Find out more about how to protect your eyes while playing sports.
How to Protect Your Eyes While Playing Sports
Consider Protective Eyewear While Playing Sports
Protective eyewear like safety goggles or glasses should be just as common as everyday sports equipment like knee pads and bike helmets. After all, sports like racquetball and tennis involve high-speed projectiles, while sports like football and soccer often end in close contact with other athletes (and their fingers and elbows). Sports like downhill skiing and mountain biking can also expose your eyes to flying debris. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to your eye doctor about approved protective eyewear, whether that be a pair of goggles, a standalone face guard, or a face shield attached to your helmet. This is especially important for football and hockey. Finally, if you’re playing sports in the middle of the day, make sure to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
Eat a Healthy Diet to Protect Your Eyes
Protective eyewear is a great first step if you want to protect your eyes while playing sports. But eating a healthy diet doesn’t just help you perform better during the big game – it also keeps your eyes healthy. Eat a diet rich in leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli, and be sure to supplement it with eye-healthy foods like zucchini and Brussels sprouts. Green tea can also be a great source of antioxidants to keep your eyes healthy over time.
Develop a Plan with Your Eye Doctor
Finally, make sure to visit your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam at least once a year. This is especially important for athletes in high-impact sports, who may undergo head and eye trauma with lasting effects. Yearly eye exams are a great opportunity to talk to your doctor about protecting your eyes while playing sports; additionally, regular exams are an important indicator of your overall health so you can stay healthy and active for years to come.
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If you’re an athlete, you know to pop in your mouth guard or strap on your helmet before the first whistle blows. But you should also take extra steps to protect yourself from eye injuries like a scratched cornea, a fractured eye socket, and even impact-related vision loss. When it comes to protecting your eyes, a few protective measures can go a long way. That means you can perform your very best without worrying about damage to your eyes.
If you still have questions about how to protect your eyes while playing sports, contact Heffington’s if you live in southwest Missouri. Since 1975, the Heffington family has been assisting the Springfield community with top-quality eye care and affordable eyeglasses and contacts. One of the unique features of our family-owned business is that we manufacture lenses at our own laboratory, giving us total control over the service and pricing, and we’re happy to pass our savings on to you. To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, send an email to asktheexperts@heffingtons.com, or give us a call at 417-869-3937 (Optiland location) or 417-882-3937 (House of Vision location). We look forward to hearing from you!