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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Floaters after partial laser eye damage, did they ever fade out with the time ?

Joined
Aug 6, 2015
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Hi all,

This is my first ever post to this forum.
I am not a laser guy, however my eyes were recently hit several times by a laser. This was during a private party. I was sitting near a table and on the scene there was a Briteq 1500 laser (it is a class IV, 1.5W at full white power, each RGB individual laser is approx. 500mw). From where i was i got hit several times (5 - 10 times in total ?) by the laser, while it was moving very quickly. I know the model name because I managed to contact the organizer after by phone who tell me it was "safe" because laser is always moving fast, never in single direction. However it is not safe. I did not know that at that time but projecting this on the people is totally illegal (at least in US). I think this is total ignorance from him. With some other people we will have a talk to convince him to stop it that so no more people get injured.

After the party i realized my vision was no more the same. Mostly in the right eye. Vision get better after days (I had difficulties to look at bright things). Recently I went to a specialist which made lot of different tests (OCT and such). Fortunately my retina has no damage and my vision is still very good. You cannot imagine how much happy I was when he told me that :yh:

However I was told the weird thing I see in my right eyes are "floaters".

Some people here will probably tell me this is totally fine, and it this normal to see floaters (because you start to worry more about your eyes after such things) but I am 100% confident they were caused by the laser and do not existed before.
I have read some topics on this forum and noticed several guys reported the same (new floaters) after laser hit. coincidence ? I don't think so.

These are really annoying. Especially making it difficult to read text or use computer.
I try to forget about them but its really hard.

Also, there is almost no possible treatment. It seems it can be fixed by laser but it is quite risky (retina can get damaged).
You can also go trough a vitrectomy which remove eye liquid and put new one. Not recommended at all since there is lot of risk associated and it can make things lot worse than before.

So it seems nothing can be really done unfortunately.

Here is some questions :

Did some of you guys ever noticed some new "floaters" after getting hit accidently by a laser ?

If yes did you ever see an improvement over the time ?
I saw somewhere on the web they can shrink with time or fade out but i'm not sure about this , and also what is "time" ? weeks, months, years ?


Any other recommandations are welcome.
Be safe, starfighter.

EDIT : /!\ some news /!\
I contacted the organizer. The guy did not know about the incident and apologized. We had a 2 hours discussion about it. He told he wanted his insurance to apply and cover the costs (doctors and such). Insurance experts will have his whole installation checked. Nobody should be harmed anymore.

I am still suffering of this (mentally and physically). I wish it never happened or that I would have at least wore sunglasses at the time (while not providing a full protection it would have reduced damage). The fact it could have been worse (permanent retina damage) still freaks me out. Floaters and possible other minor damages will probably be there until the very last day of my life.
 
Last edited:





Pman

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Not sure what to say about it but am interested in what others think about the "floaters" issue.
Would like the owner of said projector to be directed to this site though;)
 
Joined
Jul 10, 2015
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Hi all,

This is my first ever post to this forum.
I am not a laser guy, however my eyes were recently hit several times by a laser. This was during a private party. I was sitting near a table and on the scene there was a Briteq 1500 laser (it is a class IV, 1.5W at full white power, each RGB individual laser is approx. 500mw). From where i was i got hit several times (5 - 10 times in total ?) by the laser, while it was moving very quickly. I know the model name because I managed to contact the organizer after by phone who tell me it was "safe" because laser is always moving fast, never in single direction. However it is not safe. I did not know that at that time but projecting this on the people is totally illegal (at least in US). I think this is total ignorance from him. With some other people we will have a talk to convince him to stop it that so no more people get injured.

After the party i realized my vision was no more the same. Mostly in the right eye. Vision get better after days (I had difficulties to look at bright things). Recently I went to a specialist which made lot of different tests (OCT and such). Fortunately my retina as no damage and my vision is still very good. You cannot imagine how much happy I was when he told me that :yh:

However I was told the weird thing I see in my right eyes are "floaters".

Some people here will probably tell me this is totally fine, and it this normal to see floaters (because you start to worry more about your eyes after such things) but I am 100% confident they were caused by the laser and do not existed before.
I have read some topics on this forum and noticed several guys reported the same (new floaters) after laser hit. coincidence ? I don't think so.

These are really annoying. Especially making it difficult to read text or use computer.
I try to forget about them but its really hard.

Also, there is almost no possible treatment. It seems it can be fixed by laser but it is quite risky (retina can get damaged).
You can also go trough a vitrectomy which remove eye liquid and put new one. Not recommended at all since there is lot of risk associated and it can make things lot worse than before.

So it seems nothing can be really done unfortunately.

Here is some questions :

Did some of you guys ever noticed some new "floaters" after getting hit accidently by a laser ?

If yes did you ever see an improvement over the time ?
I saw somewhere on the web they can shrink with time or fade out but i'm not sure about this , and also what is "time" ? weeks, months, years ?


Any other recommandation are welcome.
Be safe, starfighter.

I have had floaters for years now and your brain compensates so that you can forget about them. Blue skies and white walls under artificial lighting can make them stand out.
I noticed them during a ski trip against the white snow.
I can see then right now if I look for them.
I also have tinitius ( constant ringing in the ears )
Between the 2 you would think a person could go crazy but you get used to them and forget about it a lot of the time.
Anyway floaters are part of ageing for many people as the vicious humor inside your eyes breaks down.
They are different than blood in the vicious humor from retinal damage.
Chances are your floaters are not laser related. You just notice them now because you are extra aware of your vision after the laser flashing you.
As for your question I have never been hit in the eyes with a laser except a 5mw red but after using powerful lasers with safety glasses on I do notice them more because I am more aware of my eyesight.
They do move around and sometimes settle down and they can get better over time, but mostly just let it go, don't sweat it or you will notice them more.
Seriously you have to just say F it and let it go, notice how you can still see and think about people who trudge on with much worse problems. The more time that goes by and the less you think about it.......you will stop noticing them especially at night and in low light. But if you fixate on them every time you look at something you will train your brain to notice them, if you push it out of your mind and say F it I don't care, I can survive then you will train your brain to hide them. Mostly time will make it better and know that you are not the only person with these, they are actually quite common.
 

diachi

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I'm willing to bet whoever was operating the projector didn't do the correct (read: any) MPE calculations.

While audience scanning isn't illegal in the states, it needs to be done properly with the correct MPE calculations and attenuation mapping where necessary. Seeing as this was a private party the operator doesn't actually need a variance, as far as my understanding of the regulations go anyway.

You are *probably* just noticing floaters that have always been there but if you are concerned you should go see an opthamologist or at the least an optometrist.
 
Joined
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I have had floaters for years now and your brain compensates so that you can forget about them. Blue skies and white walls under artificial lighting can make them stand out.
I noticed them during a ski trip against the white snow.
I can see then right now if I look for them.
I also have tinitius ( constant ringing in the ears )
Between the 2 you would think a person could go crazy but you get used to them and forget about it a lot of the time.
Anyway floaters are part of ageing for many people as the vicious humor inside your eyes breaks down.
They are different than blood in the vicious humor from retinal damage.
Chances are your floaters are not laser related. You just notice them now because you are extra aware of your vision after the laser flashing you.
As for your question I have never been hit in the eyes with a laser except a 5mw red but after using powerful lasers with safety glasses on I do notice them more because I am more aware of my eyesight.
They do move around and sometimes settle down and they can get better over time, but mostly just let it go, don't sweat it or you will notice them more.
Seriously you have to just say F it and let it go, notice how you can still see and think about people who trudge on with much worse problems. The more time that goes by and the less you think about it.......you will stop noticing them especially at night and in low light. But if you fixate on them every time you look at something you will train your brain to notice them, if you push it out of your mind and say F it I don't care, I can survive then you will train your brain to hide them. Mostly time will make it better and know that you are not the only person with these, they are actually quite common.

A lot of good points here.

In 2008, I was on my way home, and the subway train was underground, and just coming up to a section that goes above ground. I wasn't paying attention and happened to be staring out the window at the moment.

So in a split second the train reaches the above ground section and I get hit point blank with the sun (I happened to be staring right at the center of the position in the sky where the sun currently was).

I immediately looked away, but my eyes were adjusted to darkness, so I got hit hard.

I noticed floaters from that day on, and they are still there. They move around here and there, but I ignore them most of the time. If I pay attention though they never went away (but are not getting worse either).

I've gotten hit by 5mw reds and once by a 60mw green that got my peripheral vision (from one of those electronic store advertising lasers they got going).

Thankfully no damage from those. Last check up (with retinal photo scans that go back to 2003) shows retina is healthy (thank God!)

I did shine a 200 lumen flashlight right into my left eye by accident once, back in 2011? at about 2 feet away in a dark garage (was wrenchin' on my car and flashlight fell off onto a wooden stand exactly the right way to throw full power right onto my left eye. Again, I moved away from the light, but I had a splitting headache for 2 days after that event.
 
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to all :

Thanks for comments.
I just read somewhere that floaters may appears for patients after LASIK or YAG laser medical treatment. So yes lasers can cause floaters. Whether it is caused by laser traversing the viscous humor (and heating it ?) or by laser hitting a part the eye and causing tiny particles to go away and then float around (to become floaters) is unknown to me.

I also read story about a guy who was punched in the eye (while boxing) then a big floater appears.
Same about violent light flash (like FutureOne reported).
As summary: it seems that any eye damage or trauma (including lasers) can indeed cause floaters. AFAIK it is not just caused by natural aging process.
 
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I have floaters too. Trust me., they are normal as you age. I thought the same thing after getting zapped by Laser transit in early 90s. It was only a mw.
 

Benm

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to all :
I also read story about a guy who was punched in the eye (while boxing) then a big floater appears.
Same about violent light flash (like FutureOne reported).
As summary: it seems that any eye damage or trauma (including lasers) can indeed cause floaters. AFAIK it is not just caused by natural aging process.

Natural ageing is not the only cause surely, a blow to the head could dislogde something quite easily. In severe cases that can even cause retinal detachment requiring immediate surgery to prevent permanent blindness.

But in your case the question would be if that laser had any role it in it. I'd say is isn't very likely, as long as scanners keep moving they are fairly safe. If the scanning mechanism fails and there is no provision to shut the laser off right away they can be dangerous, but that would mean there was a severe fault.

"Floaters" are very common though, without any apparent cause. Normallly you don't really notice them, but if you go and scrutinize your vision you will probably find some. This is perfecty normal however, and since you checked out to have to retinal damage there is no cause for alarm.
 

djQUAN

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I just recently noticed having floaters on both eyes just a few weeks ago, but only small ones. I haven't played with my lasers for a while nor got hit by any so that rules it out. No physical trauma that I can remember too. I must be getting old then.
 
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I have had the smallest floaters since I was very young! I never really told anyone about it first! I must have been about 9. I also have very good vision as far as small detail level close and afar(I am almost 30). I was also a very observant lil guy for my age. I damn near pissed myself when they had a Family-Guy segment on it.
I have also heard mixed ideas on what it is actually caused from. I have yet to hear someone that did not have them.
 
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Benm

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Depends on what you consider normal. We generally consider it normal for people in their 50s or so to require reading glasses. Cataracts are pretty common in the elderly but can be treated in western countries. Nearly 10% of men are born with some form of colorblindness which cannot be remedied.

Floaters fall somewhere in the middle of that all. Most people will get them, most will not be bothered that much since they are only visible against even backgrounds such as the blue sky.

I'd say naturally developing some over the decades is quite normal, and usually this is no reason for concern or intervention. If they get so bad they interfere with every day life treatment is possible, but this is not without risk. In that respect they are a condition comparable to cataract really - most patients just accept some loss, but when it becomes really problematic surgery is performed to fix the problem.

The surgery for floaters has more risk than that for cataracts however, and given the fairly low incidience of -disabling- floaters, it isn't performed that often. Catatarct is a condition that often keeps worsening so surgery would eventually be required and there is little reason to delay that for a long time. Floaters can be fairly stable so no risky surgery is performed unless it already is a serious impediment.
 
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starfighter21 wrote:
I just read somewhere that floaters may appears for patients after LASIK or YAG laser medical treatment. So yes lasers can cause floaters. Whether it is caused by laser traversing the viscous humor (and heating it ?) or by laser hitting a part the eye and causing tiny particles to go away and then float around (to become floaters) is unknown to me. . . .

I don't know anything about lasik, but isn't the laser used on muscle tissue around the outside of the eye in lasik?

I don't know if fleeting laser hits can cause floaters, but floaters are a very normal part of aging. You don't hear about it until you start to get them. Seems like people are embarrassed to admit they have them because they have to face up to the fact that they are getting older and such. Although normal, if you have noticed new floaters since you last saw the specialist, you should probably go in for a follow up. I think my doctor told me I should go in any time I get a new one just to make sure their isn't a bigger problem other than normal deterioration.
 
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Hi there.
Thanks for all your comments. I have added some news in the OP.
About lasers : it can cause all sort of trouble as long as it enter the eye, including floaters.

See this page :

Environment/Health/Safety (EHS): Laser Safety

Symptoms of a laser burn in the eye include a headache shortly after exposure, excessive watering of the eyes, and sudden appearance of floaters in your vision.
...
Ophthalmologists often dismiss minor laser injuries as floaters due to the very difficult task of detecting minor retinal injuries.

Also floaters are often reported in accidents :
https://www.rli.com/resources/accidentdetail.aspx?CaseID=5327
 
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nlguillemot

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Hi there.
Thanks for all your comments. I have added some news in the OP.
About lasers : it can cause all sort of trouble as long as it enter the eye, including floaters.

See this page :



Also floaters are often reported in accidents :
Sorry for the thread necromancy but this thread appears in Google results and I thought adding information would be useful for people reading it in the future.
Just want to add that this is talking about lasers so powerful that they blow up your retina and cause pieces of it to fly around your eye. It's not damage to the fibers in the vitreous itself. Lasers in home appliance are probably not powerful enough to do this. The incident report you linked is using a YAG laser, these are lasers powerful enough to blow things up and they are used in various surgeries, so again, these are not lasers for use in home appliances and such.
 

tung

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Eating fresh pineapple daily for a few months can greatly reduce floaters.
 

nlguillemot

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Eating fresh pineapple daily for a few months can greatly reduce floaters.
No, it absolutely cannot. There were some studies that got published that said so, but it's a well-known fact in the eye floater community that these studies are completely fraudulent. For example, if you do a reverse Google image search on the figures in the papers, you'll see that the images are stolen from other unrelated research papers. There is no recorded account of any person ever curing their floaters with pineapple, it simply does not work. There are only two methods to treat floaters today: Vitrectomy, and YAG vitreolysis. I had a vitrectomy for floaters myself in fact, and it worked amazingly well.
 




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