From the editor
About 90 per cent of eye injuries that occur
while playing sports are preventable, according
to optical research.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists says
the risk of eye injuries varies depending on the
sport, but no physical activity is exempt.
“Eye injuries have been reported in low-risk
sports, such as swimming, bicycling and
gymnastics, as well as the more obvious
high-risk sports such as baseball, basketball,
racquetball and lacrosse,” the association says.
Most eye injuries in sports happen when an
object hits the eye with blunt force, causing
retinal detachment, broken bones near the eye,
retinal tears or an iris injury or when an object
pokes, scratches or gets into the eye, causing
redness, infection or visual impairment.
The association says this risk of injury, which
can be short or long-term, “reinforces the
idea that protective eyewear should always be
considered part of your equipment, just like
facemasks, helmets, or shin pads.”
Along with protecting the eyes from potential
injury, some eyewear has been designed to also
improve an athlete’s performance while on the
golf links, court, field, road, slopes or water.
This can be achieved by reducing glare,
enhancing contrast, eliminating fog, blocking
wind or debris or adjusting to outdoor lighting
conditions.
In this issue of Optical Prism, we look at the
latest products from eyewear companies that
are specially designed to protect the eyes and
improve performance during sports.
This includes lenses that can give the wearer
an edge while competing or trying to beat their
personal best.
Also under the umbrella of eye health, we speak
in this issue with Canadian experts and optical
companies about the impacts of dry eye and
the products available in today’s Canadian
marketplace to help combat the problem.
Of course, no issue of Optical Prism would be
complete without a look at some of the newest
on-trend frames to launch in Canada.
In this vein, we have put together a pictorial on
retro-inspired eyewear, which is very hot right
now. Styles from the ’60s to ’90s are in high
demand from coast to coast.
As always, we encourage you to follow Optical
Prism on Facebook and Twitter and check in
often at opticalprism.ca for the latest news from
the optical industry.
Denis Langlois,
Editor
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eyewear information.
6 Optical Prism | April 2019