Recreation can be hazardous to your vision. Thousands of people injure their eyes every year because of participating in sports without adequate eye protection. Ninety percent of these injures would have been prevented if protective eyewear had been used.

Protective eyewear is available for a wide range of sports but so far widespread use is growing slowly. Probably because most people don't realize how much damage a stray ball, puck or shuttlecock can do if it hits the eye.

A squash ball has more energy than a .22 caliber bullet. A hockey puck travel at speeds of 90-100 mph. Shuttlecock's have been clocked at 140 mph. If one of these objects strikes your eye the results could be devastating. Possible consequences include everything from minor injuries to corneal laceration, bleeding, retinal detachment, permanent impairment of vision and even possible loss of an eye. Even a minor injury now can affect how your eyes function in the future.

Some people feel that they are safe enough wearing regular glasses or contacts but these provide no eye protection for any sport. In fact glasses and hard contacts only add to your risk because their lenses may shatter during impact causing additional damage to the eye. In order to "play" safely you need to wear the proper protection. Eyewear should meet the impact standards of the American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Polycarbonate lenses are usually used for safety glasses and goggles because it's a hard impact resistant material with good optical qualities. Your optometrist can make sure that your glasses and or goggles are fitted properly. There are also a wide range of polycarbonate face masks and guards that can be attached to helmets or worn by themselves. For sports that have a lower risk of eye injury glasses with a streetwear frame that meets American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard no Z87.1 can be worn with polycarbonate lenses. These glasses should also be fitted by your optometrist and need to be won with a strap.

Below is a table showing the type of protection recommended for each sport. Currently there is no eyewear protection available for boxing, martial arts, or wrestling.

If you only have good vision in one eye or if you've had eye surgery or an injury to one of your eyes you need to be especially careful to protect your remaining vision. An injury or surgery to an eye can make the eye more vulnerable to being re-injured by additional trauma. If you only have one functioning eye and you are participating in sports that require a shield or face mask you should wear sports goggles underneath for additional protection. You should not participate in boxing, wrestling or martial arts if you only have one functioning eye or you've had a prior surgery or trauma to one of your eyes. Since protective eyewear is not used in these sports you are would be putting your remaining vision at extreme risk.