Guard your eye

According to a research spanning 23 years, over time there has been a 170 per cent increase in eye injuries among individuals who play sports. Sports-based eye injuries does not mean that children and adults must not participate in such activities but that both coaches and sportspersons should be aware and ensure that protective eye wear is used to avoid injuries.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend that players wear protective eye gear including face masks attached to batting and other helmets and polycarbonate faceguards for fielders in all forms of sports. Dr Prashanth Gupta, consultant ophthalmologist at Apollo Hospitals gives an insight into the types of eye injuries that occur in sports and recreational activities and the importance of saving oneself from accidents.

Q What kind of injuries are caused in the eyes while playing sports?
There are several common eye injuries that happen in sports:

Blunt trauma injuries: These occur when something hits you around the eye. It may result in a black eye, corneal abrasion, orbital blowout fracture, retinal detachment and rupture of the eyeball.

Penetrating injuries: These usually happen when something pierces the eye. It is mostly seen in archery.

Radiation injuries: These occur due to sun exposure during snow or water skiing, cycling, etc.

Q Are all of these injuries critical in nature?
Yes, some of these injuries lead to blood in the eye, laceration around the eye, loss of vision and rupture of the eyeball.

Q How does constant exposure to dust affect a player?
Most playgrounds are close to the road without any compound walls. This leads to vehicular pollution entering the ground too.

Yes, constant exposure to dust or pollutants while playing outdoor games can cause severe allergic reactions in the eyes. It may also result in a wide variety of symptoms like redness, watering, irritation and a burning sensation in the eyes. For this reason, it is very important that sportspersons maintain good hygiene and wash their hands properly and regularly. They should not use their sleeves to wipe the face or the eyes. Keeping a separate towel to wipe the face is the best option. In case of any kind of allergy, simple remedies like splashing water can be opted. If the condition still does not subside, they must consult a doctor.

Q Which are the sports that require eye protection and what kind of specialised gear should be chosen?
The use of eye protection during sports activities has greatly helped in reducing the number and severity of eye injuries. High-risk sports include ones which require the use of a ball, bat, stick and body contact such as baseball, cricket, hockey, football, boxing, etc. These sports require the player to use special protection for the eyes. The protective eyewear is made of polycarbonate lenses which are up to 10 times more impact-resistant than plastic or glass lenses. They provide 100 per cent protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays. They are also lightweight. These are available as prescription and non-prescription lenses.

Q What are the eye injuries encountered during recreational activities like climbing hills, trekking or going to water parks?
Ultraviolet rays are very strong at high altitudes and may cause snow blindness after as little as 15 minutes at a height above 5,000 meters. Exposure to chlorine in swimming pools can also cause redness, irritation to the eyes and conjunctivitis.

Q What are the safety precautions that parents, sports academies and also resort owners or managers must ensure for children and adults?
It is recommended that all children participating in school sports or recreational sports must wear proper protective sunglasses.

Parents can themselves set up examples by using sunglasses while playing sports. Sports coaches and resort managers need to make sure that protective eye wear is a part of the  players’ or visitors’ uniform to help reduce the occurrence of sports-related eye injuries.