Keeping Young Eyes Safe: On The Field And Off

As a parent, you want to ensure that your child stays safe and healthy. If you are a parent of a teen athlete, this is even more important. If your child participates in high impact or other physically demanding sports and has vision that needs correcting, contact lenses may be your best and safest option. 

While there are glasses that are designed for wearing during sport activities these are not always the safest choice, especially in high impact sports like football. While polycarbonate lenses are stronger and resist shattering or breaking, the force of being struck by a baseball, limb, or even hitting the ground can cause frames to break, which can cause further injury to the face or eye area. 

Contacts offer several benefits for teen and/or preteen athletes:

Clear Playing Field

Athletes have to be on their toes, whether that means warding off other players, or keeping their eyes peeled for rocks and trees as they speed down a ski hill. Glasses can be knocked off during rough conditions, which can cause a player to lose their stride and/or their balance. Contacts offer a player a wider field of vision without the impairment that glasses can cause. 

Weather Resistant

Nothing is worse than glasses that fog up, especially when your safety and your team's win depend on a player's ability to see. Extreme weather conditions do little to stop the most dedicated of players, but rain, snow, ice, and dust can obscure a player's vision, especially when he does not have the time to stop and clean off his glasses. 

Easily Replaced

Most teen athletes are smart enough to travel with an extra pair of glasses, but what happens when that spare pair becomes the next causality in the game? Contacts are much easier to travel with and in the case of disposable contact lenses readily available in pairs. Since contacts are much less likely to be damaged during game play or physical activity, it is also much less likely to need constant replacements. This means less stress and less impact on your wallet. It is much more enjoyable to spring for your athlete's after-game pizza party than for a new pair of glasses. 

Speak with your son or daughter's optometrist (such as one from Ashworth Vision Clinic) to see if contacts are the right choice for your child. Make sure to discuss your child's activities in detail and any contraindications that might exist. 


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