Patient: A 20-year-old man in Edinburgh, Britain
symptoms: The man visited an eye clinic after noticing brief flashes of light in his right eye as well as floaters – small, black shapes – floating in his field of vision for six days. He was otherwise healthy and had no history of eye disease, physical trauma to the eye, or drug use. He had mild myopia, for which he wore glasses.
what happened next: Doctors performed a thorough eye examination while the patient was wearing glasses, which revealed that his corrected vision measured 6/6 in both eyes, the metric equivalent of 20/20. His eye pressure was also normal.
However, the patient is examined closely retinaThe light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, revealing significant damage in both eyes, according to a case report.
In the right eye, doctors found multiple retinal tears and bruising, as well as a retinal dialysis, a rare type of tear in which the retina begins to separate from its outer edge where it connects to other tissues of the eye. Without treatment, retinal dialysis may progress completely. retinal detachment And causes permanent vision loss. The left eye also had bruising and six small, horseshoe-shaped retinal tears: three at the top and three at the edge of the retinal tissue.
Since these injuries are usually caused by sudden trauma to the eye – from a punch or Sports injuryFor example, doctors re-examined the patient’s history and asked if anything unusual had happened to his eyes.
The case report described the patient as a “hesitant historian”, later revealing that he had been using a percussive massage gun directly on and around his eyes for the past three months. He purchased the device himself and used it weekly for several minutes without medical guidance, in an effort to relieve the “feeling of fatigue” in his eyes.
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Diagnosis: According to the case report, doctors concluded that the patient’s retinal injuries were caused by improper use of a massage gun. These devices deliver intense, high-frequency pressure pulses that are intended to relieve muscle tension. However, they can cause serious damage to the delicate tissues found in the eyes.
The eye is filled with a gel-like fluid Which helps it to maintain its shape. The authors of the case report suggested that, each time the device applied pressure to the eye, it could temporarily distort the shape of the eye. Over time, this repeated stress can put pressure on the retina, eventually causing small tears.
The man’s doctors suspected that the use of a massage gun had distorted the shape of his eyes, putting pressure on the retina, causing the eyes to tear.
(Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images)
This pattern of injury was also different from what is seen in typical retinal dialysis cases, they said. This condition often occurs in the lower, outer part of the retina, at its lower edge. However, in this patient, the injury was found in the upper area of the retina, which her doctors said may reflect repeated forward pressure from the device rather than a traditional side impact, such as a blow to the head.
treatment: nearby 8% to 15% of cases of retinal dialysis May progress to retinal detachment, causing vision loss. However, in this case, the patient’s vision was preserved.
Retinal tears in both eyes were treated with laser therapy; Targeted laser burns create scar tissue that helps seal the retina in place and thus prevent fluid from leaking out underneath. Retinal dialysis in the right eye was treated with “barrier laser therapy”, which creates a protective scar around the affected area to reduce the risk of progression.
At follow-up six months later, the patient’s condition remained stable, with no further damage or cataract formation (clouding of the lens of the eye). Doctors reported that the positive results “are likely due to the patient’s prompt attendance and prompt initiation of treatment soon after noticing symptoms.”
What makes the case unique: Eye injuries associated with massage guns are rarely reported. The small number of cases appearing in the medical literature suggests that they can sometimes cause serious or permanent damage.
One such case is of a 69 year old man. serious eye complications developedIncluding lens dislocation and glaucoma (sudden increase in eye pressure) after using a massage gun near his eye for several weeks. In another case, a 38-year-old woman developed a dense painful cataract – a type of cataract that forms due to physical injury – and causes severe vision loss after using a similar device on his temple and eye area.
The case of the Edinburgh man is the first to report retinal dialysis and multiple retinal tears associated with massage gun use. Such injuries are typically associated with high-energy trauma, such as road traffic accidents, sports injuries or a direct blow to the eye, or they occur in people with underlying risk factors, including severe myopia or age-related eye changes, as the authors of the case report noted.
In this case, the young man had none of these known risk factors. His doctors concluded that the extent of the damage in the absence of these risk factors raises concerns about the effects of inappropriate use of massage guns near the eyes.
Massage guns are widely sold for home use, but there are currently no standardized safety guidelines for using them on or around sensitive areas such as the eyes. The authors of the case report said the man’s case highlights the need for clearer manufacturer warnings and greater awareness of the potential dangers of improper massage gun use.
For more interesting medical cases, check out our Diagnostic Dilemma Archive.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
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