Half of all eye injuries occur to people under the age of twenty-five with many of these occurring during sports or recreational activities. As more and more children are participating in sports at an early age, protective eyewear may be beneficial.

Approximately ninety percent of all eye injuries could have been prevented if the person wore protective eyewear. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, some sports in which children should use protective eyewear include baseball, basketball, racquetball, tennis, soccer, hockey and lacrosse. Not only would protective eyewear prevent eye injuries but they are much less expensive than a visit to the Emergency Room. Polycarbonate lenses are recommended for use with protective eyewear. Children with good vision in only one eye should wear glasses for protection that have lenses with a three millimeter polycarbonate thickness.

With baseball season upon us, players should be wearing eye protectors on the batting helmets and use polycarbonate sports goggles when fielding. These recommendations are from the American Academy of Pediatrics. For those who have children playing organized baseball, the field should have protective fencing for dugouts and benches. Children should avoid on-deck circles.

In a few months, fireworks will be in plentiful supply. Parents should always supervise use of fireworks and should set a good example on proper fireworks safety.

Many children can be injured from debris thrown from a lawn mower being used in the yard. If you feel you need to wear protective eyewear when using power tools, lawn mowers, lawn trimmers or when hammering on metal, children watching you should be doing the same. To ensure safety, children should remain a safe distance away from power tools and lawn equipment.

It goes without saying that children should not be allowed to play unsupervised with bows and arrows, air powered rifles, pellet guns, BB guns or darts. Adequate supervision is also essential when your children are handling pencils, scissors, knives, fishhooks and other sharp objects.

Protective eyewear is essential in preventing eye injuries but a good example set by the parents goes a long way in establishing good common sense for children.