Skip to main content

  • Can a Flashlight Harm Your Eyes?


    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: