How many of you peruse health insurance quotes online for coverage on eye injuries? Any takers? I did not think so.
Not to sound morbid, but eye injuries are one of summer’s biggest bummers. And if you did not read the fine print on your health insurance plan, you might want to protect yours (and your kids) eyes from potential harm. Sure, eye injuries can happen anytime of the year, but with sports picking up in the warmer months you will want to safeguard yourself. Even if you have insurance, protect yourself. Who wants to go to the doctor when you do not have to? No, me neither.
Note: Most insurance plans will not have something specific to eye damages, unless it is a pre-existing condition. But I promise you, the last thing you want to do it stop your family BBQ for a trip to the local clinic for a gouged eye.
Here are some ways to help keep your peepers safe this summer.
- Wear the right eye wear for the right occasion. This is especially important when playing sports. Sports like lacrosse, baseball and field hockey will require a certain form of eye wear. However, ice hockey (if you are lucky enough to live somewhere you can play ice hockey year round) and certain positions in other sports like an umpire, would require a full face mask, to prohibit any damage to other parts of your face at all. (Like your teeth? Protect those bad boys, too.)
- Protective eye wear is not just for sports. Summer is also a big handyman season with every dad attempting to build, fix or create something. When working with wood projects, wear protective goggles. You think a splinter in your finger hurts, a splinter in your head would be devastating.
- Take extra caution if you already have corrective eye wear for sigh. Your obstetrician (eye doctor) can fit you with guards that will fit perfectly.
- If you are buying protective eye wear for your kids, make sure you get new ones each year. Kids are known to grow, and consequently, will grow out of their eye wear. Try a few to figure out which types and brands work for you. Some provide anti-fogging as well as other features that might be important to your needs.
- If you want to get professional help from your obstetrician, make sure you have vision as a part of your insurance. Most insurance plans will have vision and dental for an smaller fee compared to your medical insurance premium. You might want to weigh out your options. If you plan on only going once in a year, then it might be worth it just to pay the uninsured fee. After some careful research, you should be able to figure out which will work best for you.
- Protective eye wear is not just for when you are playing sports. They can also protect you from the sun. Ever heard of sunglasses? Shades are not just to help you look chic. Their primary purpose is to shade your eyes from harmful rays. Use a pair anytime you are exposed to sunlight.