Eye protection can stop a 90 mph golf ball

Eye protection is easy to get and some eye protection can stop a 90 mile per hour golf ball, a U.S. eye expert says. Eye doctor Rachel Bishop of the National Institutes of Health noted eye protection is easy to get and can make a big safety difference while gardening or doing yard work. Mowing the lawn with a power mower can kick up sticks and stones high enough and hard enough to do serious damage to an unprotected eye, Bishop said. "They sell these kinds of protective eyewear in eyeglass shops, in sports shops, in hardware stores. So this is easy to find. And the materials are light and comfortable," Bishop said in a statement. Look for glasses marked ANSI Z78.1, which meet the American National Standards Institute's requirements, Bishop recommended. About 2.5 million eye injuries occur each year in the United States and nearly half occur in and around the home. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends every household have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear for use during household projects such as gardening that put eyes at risk.