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Kids are curious, even we. So, sometimes you will notice that kids have a tendency to focus light on their eyes which makes concern whether its effect on their eyes. Also, sometimes you may think about doing the task. So, our today’s guide will help you know in-depth whether flashlights damage our eyes or not.
What happens if you shine a flashlight in your eyes for a long time?
It depends on several factors as the brightness of the flashlight and how long you shine the flashlight on your eyes. If you shined a flashlight in your eyes for a few minutes to an hour, most of the time is temporary, but more than 15 minutes can cause permanent damage. So, avoid doing such kinds of things.
Though intense visible lights can dazzle, they cannot damage eyes unless they contain any ultraviolet radiation. The good part is normal flashlights do not come with ultraviolet radiation.
So, when you shine a flashlight for a couple of minutes in your eyes, probably it does not take a huge toll on your eyes. But, it is not recommended to avoid doing such things. Otherwise, you might face serious eye damage.
Can a flashlight harm your eyes?
The simple answer is yes. A flashlight can harm your eyes temporarily or permanently depending on how long it is shining in your eyes. But, it is sure that it affects badly on your eyes. If the flashlight light is not quite bright like wrist flashlights, you will face permanent damage for chronic exposure over days to weeks.
According to George Current, if you stare or flash a flashlight close to your eyes for around 15 minutes without blinking, it could cause permanent photic damage to your eyes.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! Or, ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER!
Here are a few things mentioned by George Current that can define how badly the light will affect your eyes.
- Shorter wavelengths produce more blue or UV light which causes more damage. So, if your flashlights contain shorter wavelengths, they will be more harmful to your eyes.
- The time length of the light is focused on the retina. A longer time length means more damage.
- An albino eye will be damaged much more quickly than one with a heavily pigmented retina due to the health and pigmentation of the retina.
How long do you have to look at a flashlight to go blind?
It depends on the brightness of the flashlights and how close you are to the flashlight. According to some research, it takes around 100 seconds in bright light, which can damage the retina even sometimes 30 seconds enough.
Can eyes recover from light damage?
Generally, the temporary damage from a flashlight can recover within a few minutes. The eyes can heal without any treatment. However, it will be good to contact an eye specialist if you face such an issue as it is a sensible part of our body.
Final words
The simple thing is just to avoid doing such a foolish incident. If the light focuses on your eyes accidentally for a few seconds, it will not harm your eyes but do not try to experiment with it. Also, keep such tools far from the kids, capable of producing bright colors. If you want to provide a flashlight for kids, bring flashlights ideal for kids.