May 13, 2016 | Watching Canada's beloved Raptors battle the Miami Heat this week got me thinking. I wonder how may pro basketball players get traumatic injuries to their eyes? Flying elbows and fingers under the basket could definitely lead to eye injury. What could happen when an eyeball is struck? Cornea - those that have scratched the front of their eye will know the intense pain associated with this [usually] small scratch. The cornea is one of the most highly innervated parts of the body and the smallest scratch gives pain, light sensitivity, tearing and blurred vision... This could take you out of a game but not take you out of a series. Retina - the retina can be damaged though the shock wave that travels to the back of the eye or at the point of impact. You can get bruising and detachment of the retina. These may injuries are more serious but may not be apparent immediately on the court. Days or weeks later you could develop an issue. Vitreous - vitreous is the clear gel/fluid that fills the eyeball. striking the eye can cause detachment or defects of the vitreous. The optical imperfections that this causes are seen as spots or floaters in the visual field. I suspect this would be very distracting for a player ready for a free throw! Go Raps. Dr.j Studioeyecare.com
