Sports & Vision

Sports & Vision

Sports and games have been part of human society for thousands of years. The importance of these things should not be underestimated. Much of young children's learning comes from participating in sports and games, and this same participation as adults can lead to happier, healthier and more productive lives. Sports require physical exercise, which results in better blood circulation and an overall improved physical stamina. It opens up one’s nerves and makes the body more flexible, agile and responsive. Despite all the physical advantages, participating in a sport also works wonders to your brain and overall personality. Sport is a competition where you compete with the opponents. You need to judge their moves and make instant decisions, consequently improving your mental ability. Thinking quickly and responding accordingly has positive impact on a sportsman’s brain. Sports also develop your social skills as you interact with your opponents as well as the teammates. It improves one’s ability to work in a team giving him/her an exposure to the team culture, which is beneficial in professional life as well. Even the mere spectators of a sport interact with each other and support their respective teams by shouting and cheering; resulting in overall happiness and a good social behavior. If we see back for a while in the history or put some lights on the life of any successful person, we see that name, fame and money never come easily. It needs a dedication, continuity, patience and most importantly some physical activities means physical and mental health of a person for a healthy survival and success. Sports are the best way to get involved in the continuous physical activities. Success of any person depends on the mental and physical energy. History reveals that only supremacy have power to rule the nation or person.

Again, optometrist are the person who deals with sports vision and because all sports have different visual demands, an optometrist with expertise in sports vision can assess your unique visual system and recommend the proper eyeglasses or contact lenses, or design a vision therapy program to maximize your visual skills for your specific sport. Remember, a thorough eye examination by your doctor of optometry is a great place to begin "getting the winning edge."

Eye protection should also be a major concern to all athletes, especially in certain highrisk sports. Thousands of children and adults suffer sports-related eye injuries each year, and nearly all can be prevented by using the proper protective eyewear. Especially for sports played outdoors, appropriate sunglasses are a must, and some sport-specific designs may even help you improve your game. Ask your optometrist which type is best suited for your favorite sport.Sports vision training, a subtype of optometric vision therapy, works on enhancing an athlete's vision abilities to take their game to the next level.

Sports vision as the practice of examining and ensuring that deficiencies within the visual system are not interfering with optimum athletic performance. Many amateur and professional athletes are physically fit but may not be visually fit, and optometrists can apply and adapt many of the skills and techniques they use every day to assist them.

For instance, a sports vision optometrist advises athletes on the most suitable method of refractive correction, discusses ocular health and safety, and measures athletes’ ocular strengths and weaknesses in the context of the sports they play, all of which is very similar to what happens in routine exams. Offering visual training to athletes will take more effort but could enhance your sports vision practice.

Mr. Krutarth Desai (M.Optom)
Assist. Professor (Optometry)