Myopia and Eye-Related Injuries in Sports
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is an everyday problem for more than 70 million Americans (Goldstein & Brockmole, 2016). However, Depending on what ethnicity and age a certain person is categorized as, the prevalence of myopia varies. Whether it is a lower level of myopia, high myopia, or pathological myopia, it is a condition that irritates many people worldwide. In a study about the epidemiology of myopia, myopia is defined as spherical equivalence (SphE) 0.5 diopters, however there are other definitions of myopia that have been used to determine myopia, where the SphE was either higher or lower than the 0.5 diopters. Whenever a person suffers from high myopia, that person is at a higher risk of suffering …show more content…
In extreme contact sports, such as marital arts, high myopia can cause problems for the fighter. As an example, in boxing, eyesight with myopia of more than SphE of -3.50 diopters is a disqualifying condition for all boxers for both professional boxers as well as for amateur boxers. Furthermore, all boxers have to have an annual eye-examination to be cleared for boxing due to these conditions. In this eye-examination, the participant has to have less than 20/80 visions in both eyes, with or without corrective contact lenses. Another disqualifying condition for boxers is if the boxer has uncorrected vision of worse than 20/200 visual acuity in each eye, or corrected vision worse than 20/60 visual acuity in each eye (AIBA, 2013). In 1992, myopia was not a disqualifying condition in boxing. McLeod (1992) discussed what circumstances were necessary to create a better setting for boxers suffering from high myopia. Boxers are at high risk of eye-related injuries due to the fact that they get punched near the eye. Furthermore, having the thumb on the glove creates a higher risk of injuring the eye, which McLeod questioned; McLeod did not believe the thumb on the glove was necessary because of the risk of eye-related injuries. McLeod further discussed whether or not laser surgery of the boxers’ peripheral retina was needed to help the boxers who suffer from high …show more content…
First of all, it can be hard for a boxer to focus on the target while suffering from high myopia. The boxer would not be able to anticipate the hits as well as a boxer who is not struggling with high myopia. Earlier it used to be forbidden to wear contact lenses while boxing; nevertheless, wearing soft contact lenses while boxing became medically permitted after 2014, which was applied to help myopic boxers (AIBA, 2015). However, if a boxer with myopia decides to wear contact lenses to correct the eyesight, the boxer is at risk of losing the contact lenses while fighting due to the fact that getting hit in the face, near the eye, can make the contact lens pop out of the eye. Depending on the competition and the organization the boxer is boxing under, losing one’s contact lenses too many times during a fight can be a disqualifying condition because it is an interruption with the ongoing fight. Due to the disqualification conditions boxers can risk for wearing contact lenses, many boxers decide not to wear contact lenses while boxing, which lead boxers with high myopia to an inability to focus on the target while fighting. As mentioned earlier, if a boxer suffering from high myopia is not wearing the contact lenses, the boxer is at higher risk of getting hit due to the fact that the lack of vision can lead to an inability of focus. When a boxer suffering
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is an everyday problem for more than 70 million Americans (Goldstein & Brockmole, 2016). However, Depending on what ethnicity and age a certain person is categorized as, the prevalence of myopia varies. Whether it is a lower level of myopia, high myopia, or pathological myopia, it is a condition that irritates many people worldwide. In a study about the epidemiology of myopia, myopia is defined as spherical equivalence (SphE) 0.5 diopters, however there are other definitions of myopia that have been used to determine myopia, where the SphE was either higher or lower than the 0.5 diopters. Whenever a person suffers from high myopia, that person is at a higher risk of suffering …show more content…
In extreme contact sports, such as marital arts, high myopia can cause problems for the fighter. As an example, in boxing, eyesight with myopia of more than SphE of -3.50 diopters is a disqualifying condition for all boxers for both professional boxers as well as for amateur boxers. Furthermore, all boxers have to have an annual eye-examination to be cleared for boxing due to these conditions. In this eye-examination, the participant has to have less than 20/80 visions in both eyes, with or without corrective contact lenses. Another disqualifying condition for boxers is if the boxer has uncorrected vision of worse than 20/200 visual acuity in each eye, or corrected vision worse than 20/60 visual acuity in each eye (AIBA, 2013). In 1992, myopia was not a disqualifying condition in boxing. McLeod (1992) discussed what circumstances were necessary to create a better setting for boxers suffering from high myopia. Boxers are at high risk of eye-related injuries due to the fact that they get punched near the eye. Furthermore, having the thumb on the glove creates a higher risk of injuring the eye, which McLeod questioned; McLeod did not believe the thumb on the glove was necessary because of the risk of eye-related injuries. McLeod further discussed whether or not laser surgery of the boxers’ peripheral retina was needed to help the boxers who suffer from high …show more content…
First of all, it can be hard for a boxer to focus on the target while suffering from high myopia. The boxer would not be able to anticipate the hits as well as a boxer who is not struggling with high myopia. Earlier it used to be forbidden to wear contact lenses while boxing; nevertheless, wearing soft contact lenses while boxing became medically permitted after 2014, which was applied to help myopic boxers (AIBA, 2015). However, if a boxer with myopia decides to wear contact lenses to correct the eyesight, the boxer is at risk of losing the contact lenses while fighting due to the fact that getting hit in the face, near the eye, can make the contact lens pop out of the eye. Depending on the competition and the organization the boxer is boxing under, losing one’s contact lenses too many times during a fight can be a disqualifying condition because it is an interruption with the ongoing fight. Due to the disqualification conditions boxers can risk for wearing contact lenses, many boxers decide not to wear contact lenses while boxing, which lead boxers with high myopia to an inability to focus on the target while fighting. As mentioned earlier, if a boxer suffering from high myopia is not wearing the contact lenses, the boxer is at higher risk of getting hit due to the fact that the lack of vision can lead to an inability of focus. When a boxer suffering