Beginning with 2011-2012 season, high school field hockey players will be required to wear protective eyewear.  The Board of Directors from the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) voted to mandate the use of protective eyewear that meet the current  (ASTM) standard for field hockey.

NFHS field hockey rules previously allowed – but did not require – the wearing of eyewear that meets the current ASTM standard. 

EyeWorld Weekly News, vol. 16, no. 14, April 25, 2011.

Cynthia Matossian, MD

When it Comes to Your Eyes, Make it Home Safe Home

New survey finds nearly half of eye injuries occur in the home from everyday projects

Importance of wearing protective eyewear focus of new public service announcement from PBS Master Carpenter Norm Abram

NEW JERSEY/Home remains the likeliest place to suffer an eye injury, according to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) and the American Society of Ocular Trauma (ASOT). The annual Eye Injury Snapshot, a clinical survey of eye injuries across the U.S., conducted from May 17 to May 24 this year, found that nearly half (47.6 percent) of the 2.5 million eye injuries that Americans suffer annually now happen in and around the home in common places like the lawn, garden, kitchen or garage.

Many people still believe that they are most at risk of an eye injury in the workplace, when in fact they face the greatest danger in their home doing household projects like home repair and yard work, said Dr. Matossian of Matossian Eye Associates.  Unfortunately, all too often the victims of these injuries are children. Ninety percent of the injuries could be prevented simply by wearing protective eyewear.

In an effort to combat the rate of household eye injuries, Dr. Matossian recommends  that every household in America have at least one pair of ANSI-approved* protective eyewear to be worn when doing projects and activities at home to safeguard against eye injuries.

This was the sixth year that data was collected for the Eye Injury Snapshot. Among the key findings:

·        Three-quarters of those injured were male.

·        The number of eye injuries suffered by children increased from previous surveys: Children 12 years of age or younger represented one in five injuries, well above the previous five-year survey average of 15.5 percent.

·        The yard and garden were the place people were most likely to suffer an injury in the home.

·        More than 45 percent of injuries occur between noon and 6 p.m.

To help promote awareness of eye protection, the Academy™s EyeSmart campaign also released new public service announcements featuring Norm Abram, master carpenter of the PBS series This Old House and host of The New Yankee Workshop. For three decades, Mr. Abram has promoted the importance of eye safety while doing home projects.

To view the public service announcement, visit http://http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/injuries/abram.cfm.. Learn more about eye injuries, names of Eye M.D.s in your area or ask an Eye M.D. a question by visiting www.GetEyeSmart.org.

* ANSI-approved protective eyewear is manufactured to meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) eye protection standard. ANSI-approved protective eyewear can be easily purchased from most hardware stores nationwide and can be identified by the mark "Z87" placed on the eye wear. ANSI-approved protective eyewear is not approved for use in sports. To locate appropriate eyewear for specific sports talk to your ophthalmologist or visit www.geteyessmart.org.

Our minds often associate "combat related injuries" with bomb explosions leading to amputations or brain damage.  However, according to studies reported at a recent American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, eye damage constitutes 10% to 13% of all serious wounds that require evacuation from a war zone.  Serious eye wounds occur at nearly twice the rate of injuries requiring amputation. 
Roadside bombs and grenades cause flying shrapnel, destroy protective eyewear, and cause penetrating eye wounds.  Blast effects such as shock waves and extreme changes in atmospheric pressures can harm soft tissues found in the eye.  30% of U.S. combat troops received some degree of traumatic brain injury (TBI) secondary to blast exposure.  TBI can often lead to impaired visual acuity or visual field defects.  With eye injuries and TBIs taking such a high toll on our troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, research is currently underway to determine the best methods for treating and rehabilitating our wounded soldiers.
 
Radiologic Technology July/August 2010, Vol. 81/No. 6