Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
April has been designated as eye injury prevention month, and fittingly, my first article for April is on eye injuries in sports.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates that 90% of eye injuries are preventable. Unfortunately, they also note that approximately 100,000 eye injuries are reported each year. Roughly 42,000 of those injuries require evaluation in emergency departments. In fact, a patient with a sports-related eye injury presents to a United States emergency room every 13 minutes. Approximately 13,500 people become legally blind from sports-related eye injuries annually. It is estimated that sports-related eye injuries cost between $175 million and $200 million per year.
-Sources: American Academy of Ophthalmology. March 31, 2014.
Eye Health in Sports and Recreation. Eye Smart. Mar. 20, 2014.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
approximately 100,000 eye injuries are reported each year. Roughly 42,000 of those injuries require evaluation in emergency departments. In fact, a patient with a sports-related eye injury presents to a United States emergency room every 13 minutes. Approximately 13,500 people become legally blind from sports-related eye injuries annually. It is estimated that sports-related eye injuries cost between $175 million and $200 million per year.