X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Teenager permanently impairs eyesight after playing with laser pointers

2 min read

This Tasmanian teenager didn’t know that, when he was playing with his laser pointer, he had permanently damaged his eyes. And now optometrists warn that laser pointers are not toys.

"He came into see me and on the Friday night he'd got hold of a laser pen and unfortunately shined it in his eyes for a very brief period of time," said Hobart optometrist Ben Armitage.

He had received a call on from a GP asking him to investigate why the 14-year-old boy was having vision problems.

“The back of his eyes on both sides are showing laser burns, so he's actually managed to burn the retina at the back of the eye near an area called the macular,” Mr Armitage said.

“Unfortunately that's the area where your detailed central vision takes place and therefore it's had somewhat of an exaggerated effect on how much sight he's lost.”

The teenager said that he did not feel any pain when he looked into the laser pointer, but the impact on his vision was almost immediate.

READ: Eye care tips for good vision

"His vision is down to about 25 per cent of what we call 20/20 vision and unfortunately at this stage it's unlikely that that vision is going to recover," he said.

With 75 per cent of his vision lost, the teenager will no longer be able to see where the laser burned his eyes.

Glasses won't repair the damage

Dr. Armitage compared the teen’s eyes with camera lenses and sensors. It does not matter how good the lens you put on the front of the camera. It won’t overcome the damage that has been made to the film or the back sensor.

"So you're also going to have an area of vision, and unfortunately his area of vision is central, that is going to be essentially missing.”

"If parents purchase or allow their children to have access to these [laser] pens they ought to supervise them very, very carefully and, in fact, better off trying to warn them off them because we've just seen in this particular case where the future lifestyle of this young person has been seriously affected," said Chief executive of Optomery Tasmania Geoff Squibb.

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below.

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

James Martinez

  • Home
  • /
  • Relationship & Sex
  • /
  • Teenager permanently impairs eyesight after playing with laser pointers
Share:
  • Mother pregnates 14-year-old daughter!

    Mother pregnates 14-year-old daughter!

  • What Sorts Of Habits Would Really Harm Your Vision?

    What Sorts Of Habits Would Really Harm Your Vision?

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • Mother pregnates 14-year-old daughter!

    Mother pregnates 14-year-old daughter!

  • What Sorts Of Habits Would Really Harm Your Vision?

    What Sorts Of Habits Would Really Harm Your Vision?

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.