Bengaluru: This summer, the city’s apartment courtyards and sports camps are alive with the pangs of rackets and fun chaos of shuttle battles. But amid all the sporting cheer, doctors are spotting an unusual trend: A surge in eye injuries. Hospitals across the city are reporting a minimum of five cases of sports-related eye injuries a week because of one unexpected opponent: The shuttlecock.
Dr Sri Ganesh, chairman and managing director of Nethradhama Super Speciality Hospital, told TOI that 25% of all eye injury cases are linked to sports, and of those, 60% are caused by shuttlecock injuries. “We see 4-5 badminton-related eye injuries every week, from corneal abrasions and bleeding inside the eye to serious cases like retinal tears and detachments.”
According to him, the shape and size of the shuttlecock make it particularly dangerous. “It’s small enough to bypass the bony rim around the eye and hit the eyeball directly. That’s what causes the damage. In contrast, balls used in sports like tennis or cricket are larger and tend to hit the bone, which offers some protection.”
The risk is even higher during doubles matches, he added. “Players are so close to each other, accidental hits are very common.”
Dr Rohit Shetty, chairman of Narayana Nethralaya, said, “Among all the sports we see causing eye injuries, badminton is by far the most common culprit. We see 10 to 15 such cases every month, especially during summer when kids attend sports camps.”
He explained that many of these injuries fall into two categories. “One is a closed globe injury, where the eye looks normal from the outside, but inside, there could be damage to the retina or optic nerve. The other is an open globe injury, where there’s a visible rupture or corneal damage. Both need immediate attention.”
Dr Shetty also pointed out that not wearing prescription glasses during play can make matters worse. “Kids who need glasses but don’t wear them can’t judge the speed or direction of the shuttle properly. They miscalculate, and that’s often how they get hit.”
Dr Pallavi Joshi, consultant – cornea, ocular surface and refractive surgery at Sankara Eye Hospital, said even though the shuttlecock is lightweight, it travels at high velocity, and when it strikes the eye, the impact can be quite severe. “There could be an indirect injury as well, when someone is wearing glasses and the shuttle or racket hits them, causing the lenses to shatter. When you play, you’re tracking the shuttle with your eyes while also manoeuvring the racket in the same visual plane, which increases the risk of accidental hits.”