Sports Eyewear

Excellent vision is critical to excelling in sports performance. You need to have visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, and your eyes need to work well together. At In Focus Vision Center & Eyecare in Piscataway, New Jersey, Ray Corbin-Simon, OD offer specialized sports eye exams and prescription sports eyewear to correct your vision and protect your eyes while you play the sport you love. Call or schedule an appointment online today.
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Sports Eyewear Q & A

Why do I need specific eyewear for sports?

Athletes of all abilities, from student to pro, rely on their eyesight as a critical part of their performance. Perfect vision helps with hand-eye coordination, eye tracking, and depth perception.

If you wear eyeglasses, your peripheral vision may not be clear, or your frames may not feel secure. Sports eyewear corrects your vision with shatter-resistant lenses and frames designed to correct your vision in all directions.

Even if you wear contact lenses or have perfect vision, you may benefit from protective goggles to prevent sports accidents that could damage your eyes and impair your vision.

How is sports eyewear different than regular eyeglasses?

Sports eyewear is designed with your comfort, safety, and vision in mind. These products have greater impact resistance and are made from polycarbonate, a durable, lightweight material. Sports eyewear is often designed in a wraparound style that provides clear peripheral vision.

The lenses are typically coated with a special anti-glare material to reduce light reflections. For additional comfort and security, sports eyewear often comes with an elastic band to hold it in place when you’re running and jumping.

Are eye exams different if I need special sports eyewear?

At In Focus Vision Center & Eyecare, the optometrists provide athletes of all levels with comprehensive eye exams and prescriptions to support and improve your athletic performance and capabilities. They perform several tests for your visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and ocular alignment.

The Snellen Eye Chart test is a standard for measuring visual acuity and is used in every eye exam. While checking your visual acuity may seem obvious, many people don’t know they have a refractive error, and while they may have been able to get by without corrective lenses, even a slight correction can improve your athletic performance.

Your doctor also tests your contrast sensitivity to check your ability to tell the difference between different shades of gray. If you have impaired contrast sensitivity, you may have trouble tracking objects, such as fly balls, especially if you’re playing in low-light conditions.

The optometrist can also check your ocular alignment, which measures how well your eyes work together, which is what controls your depth perception.