Can a Flashlight Harm Your Eyes?

Ask an Eye M.D. Answer Archive

Question:
What are the effects of shining a very bright flashlight in the eyes during darkness? What lumens can cause eye damage when shined into the eye?

Answer:
Light from a standard flashlight cannot cause ocular damage. However, there have been numerous reports of retinal damage from laser pointers. Lumens measure the total amount of visible light emitted from a source, however this is not a good measure of the potential for ocular damage because it does not measure the amount of energy per unit area.

Answered by: George Williams, MD

Categories: General Eye Health

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