When is it acceptable to not wear glasses indoors?

[J4K3ST3R]

I have a 2.5w wicked laser Arctic. And a room about 10x10.
I won't lie a bit I shine it in my room quite often, without safety glasses. Most of the time in low power mode for short amounts of time. I've kicked it up to high power mode as well. I shut and lock my door, making sure the dad or dog is in the safe before doing so let me mention that.
I've never really noticed my eyes hurting or any sort of difference in my sight, I've never struck a reflective surface other than the wall. And I've read and read all about how no surface is non-reflective, or else magicians would use it all the time. I just mean not a directly reflective surface such as a mirror or polished finish object.
I just spent a good hour using the search bar and reading about wall related, "my eye hurt" incidents or talks.
But almost found it unclear.
There is always the four rules of laser safety and one of which is, Always wear your safety glasses.
However I've seen people state that within so and so amount of feet you're in the safe, and others state that even matte walls still reflect harmful rays.

So my question is, am I like unknowingly killing my sight a little every time I play with it in there in my room?
I don't notice any different in my sight. When I do however I don't stare constantly on the spot on the wall, I don't shine the beam for very long at a time either.
I get it. And I don't plan to do this any more,

But am I seriously damaging my eyes? C'monnn
I wear the glasses if I'm burning something. And I don't find this very practical, I mean it's fun and cool and all but I like to see the light versus a orange rectangle.
I guess I like to fry my eyeballs too...

I'm open to a scolding if it'll teach me something.
So let me have it

 

[Laser Chick]

I have been around Arctic lasers for a long time along with other lasers. I would never and I do not fire up a class IV laser in a room as small as 10x10 as the terminating dot is way too bright. Even in low power the Arctic is still ~ 250mW The only truly safe way is using a beam dump or wearing your laser safety eye wear.
You only have one set of peepers, don't harm them by being foolish.

 

[J4K3ST3R]

@laserchick how are my eyes though doc

 

[OVNI]

Probably worth a visit to an opthamologist. Many benefit plans include a yearly checkup. Be good to get a baseline too.

 

[GSS]

What are you looking for here J4K My eyes get tired and strained looking at a 20mw green at 15 ft. Come on bud if you want to chat, do it on another subject like how your going to fix your Scifi laser. Yes and Yes its damaging your eyes slowly even if your young ok and it stinks not seeing that dot burning things well with glasses on, its a price we have to pay to have these powerful toys. "corny but I said it":tsk:

 

[Isaac Clarke]

i remember that time when i got poke in the eye by a machine that use the UV laser... apparently the laser appear white -ish blue... it was painful afterward but eventually it healed...
getting hit in the eye with a visible laser= blind while getting hit in the eye with a UV laser = perfect vision....( to all the noobs please do not try this at home)......

 

[RedCowboy]

The fastest chemical reactions in our bodies happen in the eye.
The light sensing nerves on your retina naturally protect themselves from being overdriven by chemically bleaching out.
THEY CAN NOT PROTECT THENSELVES FROM A DIRECT LASER HIT!

If you have ever had a slit lamp eye exam or come in from a sunny day to a dark room and found you can't see that's your natural protection.

However the nerves will not bleach out when exposed to excessive blue light only, making the possibility of damage higher, you can also sustain chemical retina damage from excessive strong blue light exposure and have trouble the next day after you thought you were ok.

Now if you take a hit from a strong reflection the lens in the front of your eye will focus light to a tiny point, your fovea is a tiny spot that contains all your tightly packed light sensing nerves, most of your retina will not produce detailed sight, so if you hit your fovea you can lose a lot fast and if you burn a hole through your retina, then blood from the brooks layer, a network of vessels behind your retina will pour blood into the viscous humor and everything goes dark maroon mud.

If you can get it fixed and if your retina does not detach and die you can still have life long serious blind spots or total blindness, if you zap your optic nerve you can go instantly blind forever.

Anyway cumulative exposure to intense blue light can cause chemical retina damage that may not show up until a day later or longer, also blue is a lot stronger than it looks, only 2% of your retina can sense blue, green we see well. However Blue will damage all of your retina.

EHP ? Hidden Blue Hazard? LED Lighting and Retinal Damage in Rats

Blue Light Hazard

 

[Laser Chick]

Where eye sight is concerned the wise guy remarks are not appreciated or needed my friend.

I know ALL of the information that the members posted above but I just read it AGAIN because my eyesight is so worth it and it is good to bubble that knowledge back up to the surface again!!
Too many accidents happen to people daily in all walks of life in all occupations so why purposely use a tool incorrectly that can harm your eyes?!? It makes no sense.
The only place I will ever fire up a 20mW+ laser without eye protection in my house without laser eye protection on is in a room that is 30 feet long and I know there is one area that has flat texture paint and nothing reflective anywhere near that area.
Even then I have the laser on for less than 5 seconds to check the operation of the laser, quality of the beam, dot, no artifacts and so on. Other than that usage is either always outside, a beam dump or with safety eye wear being used.
Why take chances with your eyes?!?

 

[J4K3ST3R]

I won't be doing this any longer. I don't plan to play with my lasers at all anymore really. However I don't feel like Ive damaged my sight in any way,
I do feel a bit paranoid.

Is this coming to a conclusion that I could have damaged my eyes?
Or have I damaged my eyes and only an eye doctor could tell me?

I'm slightly concerned that's all.

 

[diachi]

I won't be doing this any longer. I don't plan to play with my lasers at all anymore really. However I don't feel like Ive damaged my sight in any way,
I do feel a bit paranoid.

Is this coming to a conclusion that I could have damaged my eyes?
Or have I damaged my eyes and only an eye doctor could tell me?

I'm slightly concerned that's all.

Only an eye doctor can really tell you. You're probably fine but if you're worried about it go see said eye doctor.

 

[Encap]

Only an eye doctor can really tell you. You're probably fine but if you're worried about it go see said eye doctor.

Exactly---nobody here on LPF can tell you if you did or didn't cause damage to your eyes.

You certainly have the ingredients to damage them--eyes and 2.5W 445nm blue laser.

Pay attention to what RedCowboy's post----blue light hazard .

You have 2 ways to damage you eyes with your laser with a 445nm laser---high energy burn and blue light hazard.

Herer is a video about blue light damage: Eye Damage from Blue Light | HowStuffWorks

 

[J4K3ST3R]

I think I need to be more responsible with my "toy"
These forums are an amazing source of information for people such as myself.
I've been stupid in a welding shop a lot, and have caused noticeable eye damage for couple to few days before. So I somewhat know what it's like to feel eye pain.
And I have not felt any of such from shining my laser.
However I understand this doesn't mean that damage was not caused.
I think one day if I decide to visit an eye doctor, I might mention that I play with high power lasers and ask if he notices any significant issues.
But I doubt it will be any time soon.

I will however restrict my laser use to the land across from my home, outdoor use. And if I do use it indoors I will be sure to wear my safety shades.

I only get one set of peepers. As @laserchick said,
I'm too young to harm them by being foolish

 

[ultralight01]

I think I need to be more responsible with my "toy"
These forums are an amazing source of information for people such as myself.
I've been stupid in a welding shop a lot, and have caused noticeable eye damage for couple to few days before. So I somewhat know what it's like to feel eye pain.
And I have not felt any of such from shining my laser.
However I understand this doesn't mean that damage was not caused.
I think one day if I decide to visit an eye doctor, I might mention that I play with high power lasers and ask if he notices any significant issues.
But I doubt it will be any time soon.

I will however restrict my laser use to the land across from my home, outdoor use. And if I do use it indoors I will be sure to wear my safety shades.

I only get one set of peepers. As @laserchick said,
I'm too young to harm them by being foolish

Good thinking. My 50mw green laser leaves lines in my vision if I shine it on the wall. Just remember that there are no pain nerves in your eyeballs, and looking at such a laser dot, especially on a light wall, is very close to looking at the sun.

I have goggles and hate that I can barely see the beam when burning things, but they're necessary. A friend of mine looked at the sun when he was little, thinking there would be a solar eclipse, and burned a hole in his right eye. He could never read with that eye again.

If you have to use it with no goggles, don't stare right that the dot, look to the side and let it burn a hole in the side of your eye. Just saying...

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

You probably haven't damaged your eyes in any way. Fact is, just about everyone on this forum does use lasers indoors, and often without goggles.

If you bother to do the math, or tests with an LPM, you'll find that most not obviously reflective surfaces are incapable of producing anywhere near 5mW at anything beyond 1-2 inches, where it's a question of a diffuse reflection - which is what you get with say white wall paint.

Of course no one can say with certainty without examining it, whether a surface is reflective or not, and this is where the paranoia (warranted paranoia!) comes in.

Bottom line is this, if you want to enjoy a laser indoors safely;

1. Make sure it's secured, or at least in your hand.
2. Make a beamdump. Now this doesn't have to be a fancy arrangement, a brick painted black is perfect.

Where blue light hazard is concerned, it's definitely an issue, but I doubt there is anyone here on the forum that exposes themselves to 445nm for hours at a time. An exposure of 2-3 minutes once in a while... yes, theoretically it could leave lasting damage, anything can, but in practical terms you're likely to hurt your eyes more from glancing at the sun while driving.

As others have said, there is really no substitute for a visit to an ophthalmologist... if you're worried.

 

[J4K3ST3R]

Thank you. You gave me the exact type of answer I was searching for @infinitusequitas .
@ultralight I do not stare directly at the dot, not for any duration of time anyway. And I don't do this very often regardless.
However I do look at it. Lol.
Honestly as I sit here in my English class and think about this I almost feel my eyes are soar. But that's probably because I've been staring at the forums for the past hour and a half.

This morning on my way to school I stared at the sun for a few good seconds. Seen spots on my way to the classroom.

Basically I insured myself I had done more damage to my eye just then from staring at the sun than I had playing with my laser in my room the past few days. So thank you all for helping me with my concern.

I would like to note, if I shine it in my room. The room is about 10 by 10 but I have a closet that I stand in as I shine, so I'm 10 feet from the wall. I make sure that I have the laser securely and nothing in my way for me to trip over or step on that would result in me dropping my beam.
I do my best to be responsible with my "toy" but at the end of the day I like to play with it. We all do.
So let us all be safe!

If I ever get around to seeing an eye doctor, there's one in my local Walmart. I might ask how much it'd cost to go about a scan and any sort of information I could gather. I've never been one to wear glasses, so maybe I could go through the shool and get a free eye check or something.
If I ever gain any information that points towards a laser incident, I will be sure to post it here in the forums

 

[Trendkilla254]

There is a difference between an optometrist and opthamologist. You want the opthamologist not the Walmart optometrist. Don't go to the school nurse, they are not equipped. Also if you are in school... who sold you the laser?