Anatomy
The eyes are protected by the eyelids. An optic nerve runs from the back of each eye to the brain. The rear part of the brain contains the visual centre.
Cause
A quarter of all eye injuries are caused by sport (primarily racket sports, where the ball strikes the eye). A blunt blow to the head can result in damage to the structures of the eye (the cornea, the iris, the retina and the lens). Sharp injuries can pierce the eye (with a high risk of permanent vision damage) and result in a foreign body inside the eye. Eye injuries may be accompanied by fractures of the bones of the eye socket (orbit).
Symptoms
Vision problems such as double vision, blurred vision, loss of part of the visual field, new eye spots, pain, bleeding in the outer part of the eyeball (both in the white (conjunctiva) and in the anterior chamber at the pupil (hyphaema)), change in the shape of the pupil and burning and gritty sensation in the eye. (Ohana O, Alabiad Ca, 2021) and Ashraf G, et al. 2022).
Examination
In all cases where visual disturbances do not gradually subside, you should consult an ophthalmologist. In the event of more serious symptoms (e.g. bleeding in the anterior chamber of the eye (hyphaema), loss of parts of the visual field), you should seek urgent medical attention (at a hospital).
Treatment
Treatment usually involves rest. Some more serious eye injuries may require medical or surgical treatment.
Prevention
It is estimated that 90% of all sports-related eye injuries can be prevented with appropriate eye protection (a helmet and goggles). Children and adults who are sighted in only one eye are advised against taking part in boxing, karate, fencing and squash, where there is an increased risk of eye injury.
Goalkeepers in particular have been harassed by spectators shining powerful lasers into their eyes. This can cause a burn to the retina, resulting in permanent damage to vision (blindness), which cannot be treated. You should therefore avoid looking directly at laser beams (Torp-Pedersen T, et al. 2018).