“EYE CARE” For You: Sports Eyes Safety Month


Dr. J. A. Parker
Dr. J. A. Parker

September is Sports Eye Safety Month. Sponsored by Prevent Blindness America, this month is dedicated to be a reminder that thousands of eye injuries occur every year that are related to sports.

Contact sports like football, basketball, tennis, and soccer puts many at a higher risk for eye injury than non-contact sports such as golf, swimming, and running. Since school is back in and the sports seasons have begun, I want to get the word out to hopefully prevent any loss or damage to you or your child’s eyes during all of the sports season.

Some of the most common injuries to occur during sports are as follows:

Corneal abrasions – an abrasion is a scratch on the surface of the eye. In most cases, abrasions heal within 2-3 days with treatment to prevent infection.

Traumatic Iritis – is inflammation of the iris (the colored part of the eye). The symptoms of this condition are eye pain, blurred vision, and sensitivity to bright lights. Proper treatment with eye drops is required immediately to resolve the pain.

Hyphema – is bleeding in the front part of the eye. Preventing the bleeding is critical to avoid permanently blurred vision, glaucoma, and other serious eye problems.

Angle recession – can occur as a result of damage to the structure of the eyes that affects the fluid drainage system. This is critical because this fluid pressure can gradually increase over time and result in glaucoma several years after an eye injury. Any time there is a contact injury to an eye, it requires this area to be carefully monitored so this condition can be diagnosed and treated at the earliest time.

Retinal tear or detachment – in any sports, this condition can occur when the lining of the eye (the retina) separates from the inside wall of the eye. If this occurs, the symptoms can be seeing flashing lights, floating spots, or noticing a curtain veil drop in the vision. This condition requires urgent attention to prevent complete loss of vision.

Now that you know of some problems that can occur with common eye injuries, it is important to get your eyes examined regularly to prevent many other ongoing problems that can possibly result. Never assume that an injury did not cause any problem. The best solution is always PREVENTION!

If you are in need of an eye care provider, I invite you to visit us.

321 W. Montgomery Crossroads, Savannah

(near Hunter Golf Course and VA Medical Clinic).

For appointments, call (912) 927-0707 and visit us at www.envisionsavannah.com

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