5 Common Types of Eye Injuries in Sports

Baichday December 2, 2020 No Comments

5 Common Types of Eye Injuries in Sports

Athletes are more prone to eye injuries than other types of sports-related contusions and trauma.

But which sport can put you at risk for ocular trauma? In a previous study, basketball accounted for more than a quarter of all reported sports eye injuries.

Eye injuries also often happen to people who play baseball, softball, and football professionally or for fun.

Eye Injuries That can Happen in Sports Courts and Fields

If you or your children are athletes or have an active lifestyle, you need to become familiar with the different types of sports eye injuries that you or your loved one could suffer from on the court or field.

By doing so, you will know how to protect yourself from these injuries or help your children avoid them.

Below are the five common eye injuries that can happen to athletes and anyone active in sports:

1.    Blunt Eye Trauma

This type of eye injury occurs when something or someone hits you in or around the eye.

Minor blunt eye trauma can cause only slight bleeding in the eyelids, which is also known as a black eye. A severe impact, however, can cause a detached retina, ruptured or broken eyeball, or an orbital blowout fracture, wherein one or more of the bones around the eyeball are damaged.

If the injury affected only the eyelids and tissue around your eye, you would see bruising and swelling, typical of a black eye. Sometimes, there will also be cuts in the eyelid or skin around the eye and redness on the white or sclera of the eye.

A ruptured or broken eyeball, on the other hand, can cause you to have blurry and double vision and even blindness.

If you have a blowout fracture, your symptoms will or could include Double vision in upgaze or other gaze positions; having difficulties looking up and a feeling of numbness on the cheek below your eye. Your eyes will look pushed in as well.

2.    Corneal Abrasion

This type of ocular trauma happens when an object scratches, scrapes, or cuts the surface of your cornea.

A corneal abrasion can occur when a small particle or debris blows into your eyes while you are on the baseball field or diving for the home plate. In basketball, it could happen when another player’s fingernail scratches your eye.

Common symptoms of a corneal abrasion include red, painful eyes, weeping/watery eyes, blurry or hazy vision, extra sensitivity to light, and the feeling that something is stuck in your eye.

3.    Penetrating Eye Injuries

Flying debris, broken glasses, or accidentally getting into contact with another player’s equipment or gear can cause an object to penetrate your eyes. This type of ocular trauma is one of the most dangerous since it can cause permanent vision loss.

Severe penetrating injuries can cause corneal, conjunctival, or globe lacerations, vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal detachment. The damage this trauma leaves behind can also lead to cataracts and glaucoma.

Since this ocular trauma is quite debilitating, anyone who suffers from it should see a specialist and undergo a comprehensive eye test immediately. These eye exams include:

• External exam and evaluation of vision and risk of damage
• Dilated eye exam and slit lamp examination, which involves the comprehensive examination of the eye and retina
• Ophthalmoscopy, a test evaluating the damage to the optic nerve and retina
• Tonometry, an ophthalmic test that measures the intraocular pressure

The appropriate treatment will be given based on the result of these tests.

4.    Radiation Eye Injury

Athletes or anyone who are regularly in the water or snow, such as swimmers, surfers, and skiers, can also experience eye injury when exposed to the sun for long periods.

The bright, glaring ultraviolet rays from the sun can damage your cornea, which can lead to vision loss.

Athletes staying at elevations above 1,524 meters or 5,000 feet, or in areas where the sun glares off snow or water, are at high risk for radiation eye injury.

Symptoms of this ocular trauma include eye pain, sensitivity to light or photophobia, excessive tearing, and a feeling that there is something in your eyes.

5.    Chemical Burn

Finally, spray paint, chalk, and other types of chemical powders, which are used to mark the lines on an athletic field, can be kicked up and get into an athlete’s eye and cause ocular trauma.

The severity of this ocular trauma depends on the type of chemical that gets into the eyes. Acids and alkali, for instance, can cause permanent blindness.

Milder chemicals, on the other hand, can cause only irritation, burning, and tearing until the eye is washed with cool, clean water or a sterile saline solution.

Symptoms of an ocular chemical burn include a burning and stinging sensation, pain, redness and watering of the eyes, swelling of the eyelids, and blurry vision.

When you or a family member gets an eye injury while on the field or court, it is best to get medical help immediately.

The right eye tests in Dubai and proper medical treatment can prevent further ocular damage and increase the chances of preserving vision in the affected eye.

Getting regular eye checkups can also help ensure you and your children still have good eyesight. Moreover, your specialist will be able to give you and your little athletes the right eyewear to protect your eyes as you engage in your favorite sports.

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AUTHOR BIO

Dr. Millicent M. Grim, Specialist Ophthalmologist & LASIK Specialist, is the Medical Director of Gulf Eye Center in Dubai. Since 2002, Gulf Eye Center’s highly qualified ophthalmologists and optometrists/ODs have been successfully treating a wide range of eye conditions using advanced techniques. They also provide comprehensive eye care and vision restoration procedures for people of all ages.