NEI Recommends Eye Protection To Prevent Sports-Related Eye Injuries.

NEI Recommends Eye Protection To Prevent Sports-Related Eye Injuries.
The Seattle Times (8/3, Kelly) reports the National Eye Institute (NEI) says that "more than 600,000 Americans will suffer an eye injury while playing a sport this year." Of these injuries, 42,000 cases will have to be treated in a hospital emergency room. The institute "and the national associations of ophthalmologists and optometrists" point out that more than 90% of the injuries could have been prevented if the athletes had been wearing some kind of eye protection. According to the NEI, children 14 and under are most likely to receive an eye injury playing baseball or softball while for children 15 and older, basketball is the leading source of eye injuries.