symptoms after eye exam

I recently had my eyes examed. As I looked into the microscope light with my eyes dilated, I looked directly into the very bright light with my right eye for many seconds, and it was so bright that I almost thought i felt physical pain from it.  Now I have been experiencing a dry burning sensation or like something gritty is in that eye.   Bottom line I guess, can the extremely bright light from an eye exam possibly cause some kind of damage?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Hello Bob,  the amount of light used by an ophthalmologist (Eye MD) for a comprehensive medical eye examination will not cause eye damage. Eye discomfort is a totally different matter and most people (including me when I have my eyes examned) find the lights uncomfortable at times. Some even brighter lights are used if pictures of the back of the eye are necessary.

It is possible to damage the eye with lights. Industrial lasers are one kind of light damage, looking at the sun for extended time is another.

The operating microscope used in eye surgery can cause damage if it is focused on the same place at high intensity for a long time. To prevent this modern microscopes have filters to take out some of the most damaging part of the light spectrum, are tilted away from the reading part of the eye (macula) and MD eye surgeons (ophthalmologists) put 'cornea covers' on the eye to protect the retina.

Your dry burning sensations are therefore not due to your eye examination. The two most common causes would be dry eyes or allergy. If over the counter artifical tears do not relieve your symptoms I would see a eye MD physician (ophthalmologist) for a medical evaluation.

[Occupant]

I am not a doctor - I don't evev play one on TV. But you get the same effect when you arc weld without a shield. So yes, this is probably related.

[John C Hagan]

Hello occupant.   The light emited from a welding arc is totally different than the examination lights. Like the difference between a penlight and the strongest industrial laser. My office is full of arc burns every week. Not at all the same.

JCH MD