Eyewear that protects the eyes

According to Prevent Blindness America, approximately 40,000 sports-related eye injuries each year in the United States are severe enough to require emergency room care- that’s one every 13 minutes! Experts agree that 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented by wearing protective eyewear. For children, eye injuries happen mainly during sports and other active play. Kids should wear eye protection, impact resistant lenses that offer adequate eye coverage are a must as are durable, properly padded frames and elasticized sports bands. Trivex and polycarbonate lenses are considerably more shatter-resistant than standard plastic lenses making them the best choice for safety and sports eyewear. Sufficient UV protection is also critical for any outdoor sport, particularly20one that involves snow or water. UV rays and excessive sunlight bouncing off snow and ice can lead to a painful sunburn of the eyes called photokeratitis. Long term exposure to UV rays has been associated with cataracts and macular degeneration. On January 11, 2006 the New Jersey State Senate and general assembly enacted a bill requiring children who wear corrective lenses to wear protective eyewear that meets the frames standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials and lens standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).