If you play sports, you should keep two things in mind related to your vision: protection and precision.
Sports lenses protect the wearer’s eyes. Sports such as tennis, baseball, softball, and racquetball may see ball speeds of 90 mph or more. In baseball alone, there are over 500,000 injuries per year! But that is not the most common cause of sports-related eye injuries. Most eye injuries occur in basketball, where an elbow or a finger jabbed into the eye can cause corneal abrasions, fractured bones, retinal detachments, or even blindness. Polycarbonate lenses are more resistant to impact than glass or plastic and offer protection for 90% of eye injuries. Protective eyewear fits well, features a padded bridge, has prescription or non-prescription lenses, and has deep-grooved eyewires to prevent the lens from falling out.
The specialized lenses also optimize your vision. Depending on your sport, certain lenses are more appropriate than others. Dark, UV protection lenses are great for baseball and other outdoor sports. Golfers can benefit from gray-brown colored lenses which make it easier to outline the course. Even if you do not normally wear glasses, non-prescription sports lenses can benefit your performance. Some people think that lenses prevent the wearer from seeing the action, but many sports lenses have anti-fog, glare reduction, and scratch resistant properties. Some are also designed to maximize peripheral vision.
To reduce exposure to UV rays and their effects, we recommend you invest in a set of sunglasses which can provide at least 98% protection from UVA and UVB rays. While cheaper sunglasses can range from poor to excellent UV protection, our sunwear lines provide top quality protection from the sun. We carry a large selection of styles and colors.
Another product to consider is a pair of polarized sunglasses. Polarized lenses block light reflected from surfaces such as a flat road or smooth water. If you are involved in activities such as water sports, skiing, golfing, biking, fishing, and even driving, polarized lenses can be very helpful in reducing glare and giving a clearer view.
Finally, if you have a youngster in the family, it is never too early to fit them with sunglasses. Children under the age of 20 are the most susceptible to the damaging effects of UV light. One concern of parents is that their child will scratch, break, or lose the sunglasses; we are here to help you make the best choice for your child.
The American Optometric Association has recommendations for how often adults need to get their eyes examined and those recommendations vary according to the level of risk you have for eye disease.
| Patient age (years) | Asymptomatic/low risk | At-risk |
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If you were to do a Google news search for sports-related eye injuries today, chances are you'd find multiple recent stories about some pretty scary eye injuries. Whether they are professionals, high school or college athletes, or kids in...
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Everyone from front desk to Dr. Swanson, my optometrist, was a delight to speak with and they made me feel very comfortable as a new patient who was looking to try on contacts for the first time.
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Very friendly staff. Helped me get a appointment quickly. It was my first visit but Dr. Swanson spoke to me like she was an old friend. Answered all of my questions and didn't try to push me to do anything or purchase anything I didn't want to. Absolutely wonderful experience.
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Dr. Swanson has been my optometrist for over 12 years. She is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. She is always willing to work with her patients to ensure their needs are met. I highly recommend her for anyone who needs an optometrist.
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Appreciated the time to go over frames with me and could tell that Dr. Sara genuinely cared about my eye health. I wasn’t just another new client. We went over a plan and are starting best practices. Definitely recommend!
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