Adapted from BMJ 5 April 2025
Laser induced retinopathy can cause painless blindness. It is a condition characterised by various degrees of retinal injury caused by exposure to laser light. The vision can be reduced generally or by the presence of a central black spot.
Prognosis depends on the extent of the injury. Full thickness retinal damage, macular damage, large range damage and neovascularisation indicate a poor prognosis.
Parents and children should have more knowledge of these risks.
Case study: A child was found to have noticeably decreased vision in his left eye during a routine optometry examination. He had had normal vision six months previously. He had had no symptoms at all. He had been given a green laser pointer six months before and had played with it frequently.
He had looked directly at the light several times while holding it himself. Visible damage to the retina was seem on examination.
My comment: Obviously, don’t shine the laser light into your cat’s eyes either.
Diabetes Diet 