September is Sports Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month

Prevent Blindness America has dedicated September as Sports Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month to encourage parents and children to make eye safety part of the game plan. Every 13 minutes, an emergency room treats a sports-related eye injury. And, 43 percent of sports-related eye injuries are to children ages 14 and younger. Fortunately, 90 percent of all sports-related eye injuries can be prevented just by wearing the proper eye protection but only 15 percent of children and 33 percent of adults reported that they consistently do that.

Likewise, nearly half of eye injuries occur in or around the home. More than 1.5 million eye injuries happen in the home. Every year, there are more than 2.5 million eye injuries, yet 90 percent of these could have been prevented by using protective eyewear. When starting any project, whether it be cleaning surfaces with chemicals, working on the car or doing yard work, Prevent Blindness America asks everyone to wear eyewear approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The eyewear should have the “Z-87” logo stamped on the frames and can be purchased at hardware stores and home building centers.

For more information on how to protect your eyes at home and eye protection recommendations, call Prevent Blindness America at (800) 331-2020 or visit preventblindness.org.