Healio (8/2, Sutton) reports a new retrospective study of 275 pediatric patients in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s subspecialty concussion program published in Optometry and Vision Science “determined that the Post Concussion Symptom Scale may be limited in identifying pediatric patients with vision problems after concussion.” In light of their conclusions, researchers said doctors caring for children suffering from a concussion should recognize near point of convergence as a “diagnostic entity and understand its implications for return-to-learn to best support children as they re-enter the academic setting after a concussion.”

Near point of convergence, or NPC, is part of a comprehensive pediatric eye exam.  Remember to share any new or previous eye trauma or head injury information with your eye doctor.  Don’t wait until your annual eye exam to have this looked at!  An immediate dilated pupil exam is recommended after any eye or head injury to not only measure vision function, but also to ensure that internal eye injuries, such as a retinal tear, haven’t occurred.  If you or your child has suffered from an injury and a reduced NPC is found, further evaluation and treatment can be done.

Wear your sports glasses!  Protective impact resistant sports eye wear can reduce the incidence of eye injuries by 90%.  Fashion frames can break on impact and allow injuries to the eye.  Ask your optometrist or optician for eye wear recommendations for your sports and activity level, because polycarbonate lenses alone do not prevent all injuries.

Everyone knows that wearing sports glasses can prevent eye injury.  Sports eyewear can be made with your prescription, or without, like for over contact lenses.  More and more eyewear wore by active people now have impact resistant lenses (polycarbonate or Trivex) to protect their eyes from the effects of shattering lens particles.  Fortunately, it’s been years since actual glass material has been used in eyeglasses because, on impact, glass lenses have caused devastating eye injuries, permanent loss of vision, and loss of entire eyes.

A recent study shows a surprising find related to wearing glasses while playing sports.  Although, as an industry, optometrists are doing a great job getting people into safer lenses, the wearers’ eyeglass frames are now the main cause of injury from eyewear.

When impact resistant lenses are placed into standard eyewear frames, it’s the frames that poke, cut, and bruise our eyes and skin around the eyes.  Medium to high-impact energies exerted from collision with another player, ball, racquet, or bat were cited as the main cause of eye damage.  The best way to protect the eye and the surrounding ocular structures is to couple impact resistant sports goggles with impact resistant lenses.

Play it safe!  Ask your eye doctor or optician to help you find the best-fitting wrap sports eyewear for your lifestyle to protect your precious eyes.

SOURCE: Hoskin AK, Philip S, Dain SJ, Mackey DA. Spectacle-related eye injuries, spectacle-impact performance and eye protection. Clin Exp Optom. 2015;98(3):203-9.

By blocking specific color wave intersections as they pass through the lens, ChromaPop is able to eliminate color confusion, so your brain can recognize truer color, faster.  Petrou Eye Care invites you to see the water and the outside world with an unparalleled level of vibrance through Smith Optics sports lenses.  Available in prescription glasses and nonprescription lenses.