Sports-Related Ocular Injuries: Incidence, Prevention and Awareness Among Athletes: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.72.74881Keywords
eye injury, ocular trauma, injury prevention, protective eyewear, athletesAbstract
Background. Eye trauma in sport is common, often severe, and in most cases preventable. It continues to affect athletes from recreational play through professional competition, and although protective eyewear prevents the majority of these injuries, its use is inconsistent from one sport and athlete group to the next.
Aim. This review synthesizes current evidence on the incidence, mechanisms, and prevention of sports-related ocular injuries, focusing on how effective protective eyewear is and how consistently athletes actually wear it.
Material and methods. PubMed was searched for studies on sports-related ocular injuries, their prevention, and eyewear use among athletes. Thirty sources published between 2017 and 2026 met the inclusion criteria and were grouped by theme.
Results. Racquet sports, ball sports, combat sports, and ice hockey accounted for most reported ocular injuries. Eyewear meeting recognized safety standards cut both the frequency and severity of injury substantially, while prescription glasses, contact lenses, and lensless guards gave comparatively little protection. Mandates requiring eyewear were linked to marked drops in injury rates, and the biggest gains came from combining mandates with education. Awareness of eye-injury risk remained low even so, especially among younger and amateur athletes, and eyewear use showed the same pattern.
Conclusions. The case for protective eyewear as a means of preventing sports-related ocular injury is strong, but awareness and adoption still lag behind it at most levels of competition. Pairing athlete and coach education with enforceable eyewear policy looks like the most promising route to reducing preventable vision loss in sport.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Martyna Czmiel, Weronika Ścieglińska, Antonina Radolinska, Bogumiła Szarek, Rafał Szarek, Monika Chlipała, Jakub Andrzejewicz
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