Whether kids wear glasses or not, when they play sports like baseball, soccer, golf,  they do need to wear protective eyewear  to protect their eyes and the area around their eyes such as the orbital bone.

If a child has a correction and  wears glasses they need special sports glasses  with their prescription in them;  They should NOT just wear their prescription glasses, which may cause more harm in the event that they are hit with a ball.  Any sport in which balls, racquets or flying objects are present pose a potential for eye injury.  Being hit with a soccer ball or a baseball can injure the eye and could possibly cause blindness?  See the difference in impact to the eye with and without sports protective eyewear

A child should never play hockey without wearing a face mask. Hockey pucks are very dense and hard, and when one hits an eye at high speed, it can cause vision loss and even total blindness.

According to recent data from Prevent Blindness, more eye injuries occur from water and pool activities than any other sport. Eye injuries from water sports include eye infections and irritations, and scratches or trauma from other swimmers.    Goggles can prevent irritation when swimming in fresh or chlorinated water.  An eye accident only takes an instant to impact a child’s vision for a lifetime.

Kids wearing swim goggles . Maple Grove Eye Doctors

Children should start to wear sunglasses as early as possible — to get used to wearing them and also to protect their eyes from glare and UV damage, especially for blue eyed children who are more sensitive to sunlight.

Kids should wear quality sunglasses purchased from a reputable optical store for 3 reasons:  they’re more likely to be more comfortable and to keep them on looking thru a quality lens, the UV protection is guaranteed, the frame will be fit to their face and be more comfortable.

Little girl with sunglasses . Maple Grove Eye DoctorsBoy with mirrored sunglasses Maple Grove Eye Doctors

We usually recommend photochromic lenses for children when they have a correction and need to wear glasses.  Photochromic lenses become darker outside and provide UV protection.  This also eliminates the need for a separate pair of sunglasses.  Depending on the child’s activities, polarized lenses are a benefit because they cut glare and would be recommended if a child is spending a lot of time near water – lakes or swimming pools.

An eye accident can happen at any time but is more likely to happen when playing a sport, and can change a child’s vision for life.  Is it worth taking a chance?

To a point, sports goggles can be fit with ‘room to grow’~~ Some growing room is acceptable, and sports goggles are made to be somewhat flexible in their width adjustment. But if the frames are too large and don’t fit properly, the amount of protection they provide will be compromised, increasing the risk of eye injury. It’s a risk not worth taking.  By the same token, permitting a youngster to continue wearing goggles that he or she has outgrown can be just as dangerous, obstructing peripheral vision and being uncomfortable.

Kids Sport Goggles Maple Grove Eye Doctors

The padding inside the sides of the goggle should rest flush with the face and the eyes should be centered both horizontally and vertically in the lens area.

Sports goggles are made in a variety of shapes and sizes. Many are designed for racquet sports and are available for basketball and soccer. Some are even designed to fit inside helmets used for American football, hockey and baseball. Sports goggles should allow the use of helmets when the sport calls for it.

Hockey Mask for Kids Maple Grove Eye Doctors

Lenses in sports eyewear usually are made of polycarbonate which has a scratch resistant coating on both the front and back surfaces for added durability.. Since polycarbonate is such an impact-resistant lens material, it works well to protect eyes from fast-moving objects. Polycarbonate also has built-in ultraviolet protection — a valuable feature for outdoor sports. Some sports styles are contoured, wrapping slightly around the face. This type of goggle works well for biking, running, baseball.   Contact lens wearers especially benefit from the wraparound style, as it helps keep out wind and dust.