Eyecare for Sportspersons

Nov 25, 2014 in Eye Care

Eyecare for Sportspersons

Whether you are a professional athlete or simply enjoy sports as a leisure activity, your vision has a paramount impact on your sporting performance. Good eyesight is the key factor in playing well, a fact that not many people realise. While most sportspersons ensure that their bodies are in top condition for their sport, eye examinations usually don’t figure very high on their health regimens. However, your eyesight may be the difference between winning and losing, so it’s important to keep your eyes in the best condition.

Sports Vision Care

Most people in the UK engage in some sort of sport, many of them in more than one activity. There are several vision-related factors that impact your sports performance:

  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Depth perception
  • Eye tracking ability

These can be improved by taking regular eye exams that are specially developed for athletes. They not only help detect any problems, but can also be used as means to improve athletic performance.

Other factors that can affect your sport include:

  • Eliminating glare
  • Shielding your eyes
  • Being comfortable

These factors can be taken care of by wearing appropriate sportswear, which has been prescribed and properly customised by an eye care practitioner.

Prevention is Better than Cure

Sports-related eye injuries are quite common and more than 90% of these are usually preventable. While certain sports (like squash, for example) are innately risky for the eyes, most sports have some level of risk to cause a serious, even life-changing, eye injury. Sports safety goggles are the best way to protect your eyes when you play sports, yet these are largely ignored by most athletes and sportspersons. Protective eyewear is as basic as wearing a helmet while riding, or a seat belt while driving. You now have everything from squash goggles to wraparound glasses for cricket, from ski goggles to spectacles designed for swimming – both surface swimming and underwater.

Be cautious while wearing regular glasses or sunglasses while playing sports. These may actually increase your chances of suffering an eye injury. Get custom-made glasses and sunglasses that can protect your eyes while you play sports.

Say Aye to Eye Exams!

Regular eye exams will ensure that your vision is performing at its optimum level, so that you can pursue your sport well. Drop in at your local Leightons Opticians for a comprehensive eye examination. It takes about 30 minutes and will include an in-depth understanding of your requirements, lifestyle and the sport you play. After the eye examination, we will help you select the right pair of prescription glasses. At Leightons we also have a wide array of sunglasses to choose from and we can customise your frames and lenses to suit your requirements. Whether you are a golfer or runner, a footballer or a swimmer, we can provide sunglasses especially selected for you, with functionality, quality and style in mind. Our dispensing opticians can also recommend specialist lenses that give you the optimum viewing experience when you’re engaging in your preferred sport. We are the experts in the products that we offer, so you are in good hands!