How to Choose Sports Glasses for Kids
Protective eyewear comes in a wide array of styles and types, depending on your child's needs. From typical safety glasses and goggles for hobbies to stylish sports glasses, you might see them on TV. Statistics show that 90% of sports-related eye injuries can be avoided by wearing eye protection.
The materials sports glasses are made from make a massive difference for your safety when playing. Like any safety gear, you will want to carefully choose lens and frame materials for the activities your child will participate in.
Every sport is a little bit different; you can check out our blog on sports glass materials for a more in-depth look at the options.
Types of Trauma They Prevent
Eye trauma can generally be categorized into three categories, blunt, penetration, and radiation. Eyes are sensitive, and even what might appear to be a slight issue at first can hide more substantial damage. For younger children, it can be tough to verbalize that something is wrong. Be on the lookout for the following types of injury:
- Blunt Trauma: The most common injury to the eye from sports and hobbies alike, blunt trauma happens when something impacts your eye like a ball or elbow. In the best case, you might just end up with a black eye, but a hard enough hit can cause an orbital blowout fracture, a ruptured globe, or a detached retina, all of which risk permanent sight degradation or loss.
- Penetrative Injuries: A penetrative injury occurs when something cuts through the eye's surface. Fingernails, cleats, or environmental debris can all cause lacerations or become embedded in unprotected eyes.
- Radiation: UV light doesn’t just harm our skin. If you are outside for most of the sport, especially on reflective surfaces like the water, you risk radiation injuries.
The good news is that using proper protective eyewear can prevent eye injuries. Sunglasses, sports goggles, eye guards, and other protective measures may keep your children from devastating eye problems.
Helping Younger Kids Adapt to Wearing Sports Glasses
Most common vision problems in children can be corrected with corrective lenses, most often glasses, until they grow into the ability to wear contacts. But it can often be difficult to convince kids to do or wear anything they aren’t thrilled about, even if it will make life easier for them.
If you have trouble getting your child to consistently wear glasses pay special attention to trying the following. They don’t necessarily have to love it but help them be comfortable.
- Find a pair that fits: You will want to select a pair of glasses that is incredibly durable to prevent scratches and breaking, as well as fit their facial structure. The closer it is to feeling like they aren’t wearing anything, the more likely they will wear them!
- Let them help pick: Glasses come in a wide variety of frame styles and colors; let them participate in picking the frame they want. Sports glasses often come with a wide variety of fun colors and shades for frames and lenses.
- Incorporate it into a routine: Start working glasses and their care into pre-sport routines. Keep them in a protective case while in bags, and work to have on the sports glasses as part of the overall uniform.
- Keep it fun: Bolster your kid's confidence with a compliment or two, give cool examples of famous people or favorite characters who wear glasses, and gamify wearing them as an incentive to help form good habits.
- Be patient: Getting used to glasses takes time, be patient as they adapt to the change. The attitude you show is the one they will adopt.
It is a difficult adjustment; if you want, you can read more about our tips for helping your child love wearing glasses.
Find a Sports or Protective Eyewear Specialist
While some styles, materials, and lens options apply to several sports and hobbies, it is crucial for your eye health to ensure that you get the correct pair that offers the protection you need. Come to Asheville Vision and Wellness to pick out your or your child's new pair of protective glasses.
Our optometrists are trained to deliver the perfect fit and style for our customers’ needs. We can ensure your child’s prescription is perfect with on-site optical finishing. With a wide array of carried brands, we are sure to find a style that gets them excited to wear their new pair(s) of glasses.
Whether you haven’t been to the optometrist for a yearly eye exam or just need to grab a new pair of glasses, contact us today. Our eye doctors are trained to provide our patients with a wide variety of eye care, including comprehensive eye examinations, contact lenses, and medical eye evaluations.