Protective sports eye wear has come a long way over the years. Once viewed as a necessity only for those who required a prescription, modern sports eye wear is designed to enhance eye safety as well as improve vision. In fact, sports goggles can now be fitted with both prescription and clear plastic lenses, making their safety features available to everyone.Durability
Whether you require prescription or nonprescription eye wear, you want to choose a lens that is both impact and scratch resistant. With the use of strong polycarbonates, the lenses in sports goggles can withstand even the most physical of sports. In sports like racquet ball, balls can travel in excess of 200 miles per hour. Polycarbonate lenses are designed to withstand this impact, as well as to protect you from fingers, elbows, and flying debris.
Polycarbonate has the additional benefit of being UV resistant. If the sport you play takes place outside during the day, these lenses will protect your eyes from sun damage without dimming your vision the way sunglasses would; allowing you to enjoy enhanced safety, improved vision, and protection from environmental factors.
Fit and Intention
There are hundreds of options to choose from when it comes to sports eye wear, but not every option is ideally suited to every sport. Your eye doctor will be able to show you frames that are specifically designed to protect your eyes in the sport that you play. For example, protective sports eye wear designed for basketball are not shaped to fit inside of a helmet, but sports goggles intended for use in sports like football will be shaped and fitted in a way that allows them to easily and comfortably fit in between helmet padding.
Picking protective sports eye wear from a sporting goods store may seem like a less expensive and more convenient way to get the protection your eyes need. However, only your ophthalmologist can make sure the fit of your eye wear is ideal to the shape, size, and contours of your head. To maximize comfort and ensure against slippage, sports eye wear should only be purchased through an experienced sports eye wear doctor. Additionally, the materials used in sports eye wear purchased from your eye doctor is often times more durable, helping to ensure against accidental breakage.
With an estimated 40,000 sports-related eye injuries treated in the U.S. each year, the necessity of protective sports eye wear is becoming obvious. No matter what sport you play, your eye doctor can help you choose a frame that is durable, intended for your sport, and properly fitted, while providing you with a wide variety of styles that match your personality.
