AAO announces campaign to promote the use of protective eyewear among athletes

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has designated April as Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness about the risk of ophthalmic injury for athletes.

According to the AAO, some 40,000 people suffer eye injuries while participating in sports every year, but polycarbonate lenses may be able to protect athletes from ocular injury. In a release announcing the campaign, the AAO said that polycarbonate lenses can withstand a ball or projectile traveling at 90 miles per hour.

"Eye injuries from sports can be devastating, and the only way to prevent them is by wearing protective eyewear," Monica L. Monica, MD, PhD, a clinical correspondent for the AAO, said in the release. "Most people don't realize that basketball is one of the leading causes of eye injuries because of elbows and fingers hitting the eye."

Earlier this year, Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns suffered a detached retina during a game that required surgery. He has since said that he will wear protective eyewear during games from now on, according to a recent statement.

The AAO recommended that athletes of all ages and skill levels wear appropriate, sports-specific eye protection that has been properly fitted by an eye care professional to help minimize the risk of injury. Without eye protection, athletes may be prone to corneal abrasion, bruised lids, internal bleeding, retinal detachment, permanent vision loss and infection, and individuals who suffer eye injuries may be at greater risk of developing glaucoma.