Sports: You'll knock your eye out!

April is Sports Eye Safety Month, so Hello Wisconsin wanted to make sure all athletes are protected. Dr. Kristen Lambert and Denae Murner, with the Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, sat down with Tyler Mickelson to talk about eye safety during physical competition. To hear everything they had to say, watch the video above!

Notes to remember can be found below.

-Each year more than 40 thousand athletes suffer from an eye injury. However, 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented just by wearing protective eyewear

-Protecting your eyes from injury is one of the most basic things you can do to keep your vision healthy throughout your life

-Sports-related eye injuries occur most frequently in baseball, basketball, and racquet sports

-Eyes can be damaged by sun exposure, not just chemicals, dust or objects

-Tips to avoid an eye injury:

o Consider the risk of flying debris or other objects during activities and wear appropriate eye protection

o Remember that eye glasses are not sufficient protection

o Be careful during activities or games involving projectiles and other sharp objects that could create injury if in contact with the eye

o If you wear contacts or eyeglasses, pack a back-up form of vision correction during bike trips or other activities where you could lose or shatter a lens

o If an eye injury does occur, see an eye doctor immediately

-It's important to remember a serious eye injury is not always immediately obvious. Delaying medical attention can cause the damaged areas to worsen and could result in permanent vision loss or blindness.

-DO NOT attempt to treat a serious eye injury yourself

-It's important to understand that regular eyeglasses do not offer proper protection.

-Protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses should be worn for sports such as basketball, racquet sports, soccer and field hockey.

-Choose eye protectors that have been tested to meet the American Society of Testing and Materials (most will have an ASTM sticker on them) *prop

-Eau Claire Optical carries a number of choices for children's protective wear as well as adult styles.

-If your child is beginning a sport this spring, consider investing in eye protection.