Prevent Blindness has once again declared September as Sports Eye Safety Month. New Prevent Blindness data shows that there were more than 44,000 sports-related eye injuries treated in the United States in 2025.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) states that players more likely to sustain an eye injury with more severe consequences include those with myopia or those who have had previous eye surgery. Serious injuries may occur including: corneal abrasion, in which the surface of the eye gets scratched from the edge of a ball; Berlin’s edema, or damage to the retina’s outer layers, which can cause decreased vision in the eye for several hours; and retinal tear or detachment caused by a pickleball impacting the eye directly.

To help educate the public on the importance of wearing proper eye protection while playing sports, Prevent Blindness offers free sports eye safety information including a dedicated webpage, fact sheets, and shareable social media graphics.

New this year in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Expert Series will be the episode "Sports Eye Safety" featuring Stephanie Marioneaux, MD,  a member of the Prevent Blindness board of directors and president-elect of the AAO. And the September Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health podcast will feature Shanyn A. Toulouse, DNP, MEd, RN, a member of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness advisory committee and a Northeast regional school nurse consultant, who will be discussing a variety of topics, including the importance of sports eye protection for kids.

Prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and even occupational safety glasses do not always provide adequate protection for sports eyewear. All eye protection should meet sport-specific American Society for Testing and Materials standards. An updated listing of these can be found at: PreventBlindness.org/recommended-sports-eye-protectors. OM