No matter what the level of play, wearing eye protection during sports has not been a popular choice in most types of sports. In particular, National Basketball Association (NBA) players have experienced significant injuries, including fractures to the bones around the eye socket. Learn more about the eye protection barriers in sports, what they could prevent, and what one study found about the cost of eye injuries for NBA players.*

What are the barriers to eye protection, and are they fixable?

As helpful as it is, some professional athletes feel that eye protection impairs their peripheral vision and/or causes fog or sweat to accumulate within the goggles. According to Dr. Rod Foroozan, an ophthalmologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, who co-authored a study on the NBA, athletes are creatures of habit. 

Many NBA players have been playing consistently for years without eye protection. Therefore, adding eye protection can set them off their game. His fellow co-author and ophthalmologist, Dr. Michael Yen, gives an example of how hockey made changes to protective gear in the ’60s and ’70s that eventually became the norm among all players. 

The shift occurred among young players and mandated kids to wear face masks. It took years to filter up, but now all hockey players wear protective gear. Dr. Yen believes this same approach could work for NBA players, too. 

How much are these eye injuries costing the NBA?

Drs. Yen and Foroozan, both team physicians for the Houston Rockets, did a cost study of eye injuries among players to bring attention to its importance within the NBA.

During the 2018-2019 NBA regular season, they tracked eye injuries across all 1,230 games. The common eye injuries that occurred during this season included:

• Eyes dislodged
• Torn retinas
• Fractures
• Corneal abrasions

In total, it costs the NBA $2.4 million in lost productivity based on the salaries of the injured players. The study did, however, only account for regular-season games, so the NBA’s expenses could be even greater when playoff season is also factored in.

Why is protective eyewear important?

Whether you’re a high school athlete or a professional player, protective eyewear can protect you from short-term and life-long eye injuries. Protective eyewear made with polycarbonate lenses is the best option for several different sports, such as basketball, racquet sports, soccer, and field hockey. 

*Medeiros, S. (2021, Mar, 17). Eye Injuries Cost the NBA $2.4 Million in Single Season. American Academy of Ophthalmology. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/cost-eye-injuries-nba-basketball-sports

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