MAPLE RIDGE, British Columbia, Aug. 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maple Ridge Eye Care of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, recently announced their latest contest running on Facebook: an opportunity for parents to win a pair of ProGear® Eyeguard Sports Frames with prescription lenses for their child. The Play It Safe Sports Eyewear contest is designed to raise awareness among parents about how important it is for children to wear proper eyewear while participating in athletics.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology report that an estimated 40,000 sports-related eye injuries occurring each year in the United States. They also relay that almost 90% of reported sports-related eye injuries are preventable and one-third of the victims of injuries are children. The percentages in Canada are very similar. And while the ultimate goal to reduce injury would be for all sports players to wear protective eyewear, Maple Ridge optometrist, Dr. Murray Hurlbert realizes that not everyone is ready for sports eyewear. "We recommend to our patients that at the very least, children who require prescription glasses should be using sports protective eyewear".
Children who wear their regular glasses while playing a sport are at greater risk for injury if they are hit in the eye because their eyewear can actually cause them harm as well. Sports eyewear have been designed with more durability than a standard pair of glasses: the lenses in sports eyewear are usually made of either Trivex or polycarbonate materials because they are impact resistant.
These materials also offer UV protection, which is a valuable feature for outdoor sports. The lenses are usually treated with a scratch-resistant coating for durability. The frame in sports glasses is also usually polycarbonate to provide impact protection. Rubber padding is often found around the frame at the temple and bridge so that they are both comfortable to wear and help cushion any impact so that the frame doesn't cause damage to the face. Finally, sports frames are secured tight to the head by an elasticized band so that it won't fall off or be easily knocked off during an impact.
Maple Ridge Eye Care carries ProGear® Sports Eyewear because their optometrists feel that this brand meets all of the requirements that must be considered in order to provide complete protection for a child playing a sport. There is a wide range of different frames available for various sports, with soccer, basketball and baseball being the most common sports these frames are used for. With the Play It Safe Sports Eyewear Contest running for the month of August, the doctors are hoping that parents will recognize the message about the importance of eye safety for children and will take the steps necessary to protect their child's vision.
Maple Ridge Eye Care, located on Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge, B.C., offers a wide range of eye health services for children and adults including emergency eye services, eye exams, contact lenses and glasses.