Athletes are no strangers to injuries. Many believe it comes with the job or hobby, but it’s always good to know the difference between a minor injury and a major one and if a minor injury could take a turn for the worse, especially when it comes to the eyes. Below are three quick tips for athletes to help discern whether a minor bump to the eye calls for exiting the game.

Surface Scratches

Corneal abrasions occur when foreign objects poke and ultimately scratch the surface of your eye. This includes everything from fingernails to sand or dust. Corneal abrasions cause severe discomfort and sensitivity to light. These abrasions are prone to turn into infections. There are types of fungi and bacteria that can pass into your eye that can cause serious damage within hours. See a doctor as soon as possible.

Eye Bleeding

Subconjunctival hemorrhages occur when blood leaks from a blood vessel in your eye, causing redness to appear in the white of the eye. This can occur from getting bumped in the eye, or even coughing. It’s typically not serious, and clears up on it’s own.

Hyphema

A hyphema (hi-fee-mah) is when bleeding occurs in the anterior chamber of the eye. This is incredibly serious, as orbital blowout fractures are cracks or breaks in the bones surrounding the eye. See a doctor as soon as possible.

Keep safe this summer playing your sport, and defend yourself with the best defense: knowledge! Check out this eye safety article for athletes. And for those of you looking to improve your baseball team's visual performance, check out this Vizual Edge Pro!