What happens if a laser hits your eyes?
Sooo it depends on the laser. Is it a LASIK laser? If so, your vision should improve drastically. If not, you may have some cause for concern.
Because recreational laser pointers have become increasingly popular in recent years, let’s first talk about what happens if a laser pointer hits your eye.
What happens if a laser pointer hits your eye?
Lasers fall into one of these four categories:
Class 1. These are the safest lasers. They shouldn’t cause eye damage even if you look at them for prolonged periods.
Class 2. These will cause retinal damage if viewed up close for more than ten seconds.
Class 3. These guys are hazardous and prohibited in many countries. But they’re readily available online.
Class 4. The most powerful lasers. If they were Pokémon, they’d be Arceuses (Arcei?). If they were Avengers, they’d be Scarlet Witches. You get the picture. These lasers can cause severe eye damage.
The hard part is that you might not know what type of laser you’re dealing with, even if it comes from a labeled laser pointer (they’re sometimes mislabeled). That brings us to the first rule of laser safety: You do not talk about laser safety. Kidding. It’s to never look at a laser beam. And if you accidentally look at a laser beam, close or avert your eyes as fast as possible.
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Some reassuring guidance
You’re reading this, so chances are you’ve had a laser pointer in your eyes. Here’s some reassuring guidance from the U.S. Air Force:
“If you have been involved in a laser incident, then naturally you are concerned about what effect the laser might have had on your eyes and vision. If you can read 20/20…, then it is unlikely that the laser did any significant damage…
Laser exposures can have a wide range of effects including flash blindness, dazzle, dark spots, hazy vision, floaters, burns, retinal bleeding, etc. Of special interest are the hazards posed by visible lasers from glare and flash blindness, and from very high energy lasers that could cause serious thermal injuries. Luckily, the part of the eye responsible for most of our central vision is about the size of a pinhead. It is possible, that this area could be damaged by a laser, but only if a person happened to be looking directly at the light. A laser injury even a few millimeters away from this area, will probably not significantly affect the central vision. The central vision is what you use to read, watch TV, and drive.
…If your vision and eyes seem normal after direct laser beam exposure, then there is probably no significant damage to your eyes due to the laser beam.”
Are you experiencing lasting symptoms or worried about laser damage to your eyes? Talk with your eye doctor. They can inspect your eyes and check for damage.
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