Can Bungee Jumping Cause a Detached Retina? Safety Tips

The Risks of Bungee Jumping: Can It Cause a Detached Retina?

Bungee jumping is an extreme sport that continues to grow in popularity around the world. The thrill of free falling from dizzying heights makes it an adrenaline-pumping experience many adventure seekers enjoy.

However, like any extreme sport, bungee jumping does come with some risks. From bruises to fractures, injuries can and do occur. One rare but serious risk from bungee jumping is a detached retina.

What Is a Detached Retina?

The retina is a thin layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eye. It contains light-sensing cells that capture images and send signals to your brain so you can see. The retina stays in place attached to the back of your eye with support from vitreous gel inside the eye.

A detached retina occurs when the retina separates from the back wall of the eye. This causes it to lose blood flow and stop functioning properly. As a result, vision becomes impaired or can be lost completely in that eye if the detached retina is not repaired.

What Causes a Detached Retina?

There are a few different things that can cause a retinal detachment:

• Aging - As you get older, the vitreous gel in your eye starts to shrink and pull away from the retina. This can cause tears or holes to form, allowing fluid to seep in and detach the retina.
• Injury - A hard blow or jolt to the eye can cause a tear or hole in the retina, allowing fluid buildup and detachment. Bungee jumping falls into this injury risk category.
• Nearsightedness - People with severe nearsightedness are at increased risk for areas of retinal thinning and tearing.
• Other eye conditions - Advanced diabetic retinopathy, eye inflammation, tumors, and past cataract surgery can elevate the risk for detachment as well.

Can the Force from Bungee Jumping Detach Your Retina?

During a bungee jump, the forces exerted on the body as you rapidly decelerate can be significant. Theabrupt changes in momentum place stress on tissues and joints throughout the body.

It's this strong jolting force and acceleration that may potentially damage structures in the eye, leading to some concern that bungee jumping could detach your retina.

Factors That Increase Your Risk from Bungee Jumping

Not all bungee jumpers will experience a detached retina or eye injury. However, certain factors may increase your risk:

• Pre-existing vision problems - If you already have thinning retinas, significant nearsightedness, a history of retinal issues or prior eye injuries, the force from bungee jumping has more potential to further damage the eye.
• Advanced age - The vitreous gel and retina interfaces become more vulnerable to tears and detachments as you get older. The abrupt head motions from bungee jumping may pose more risk for an aging eye.
• High jumps - The higher the bungee jump, the faster the acceleration during the recoil. Experts speculate higher jumps may expose jumpers to greater risk of bodily harm, including eye injuries.
• Body collisions - Striking your body against structures during the jump and rebound adds further insult to tissues. Protective head and eye gear reduces, but cannot eliminate, the risk of impacts damaging eye structures.

Symptoms of a Detached Retina After Bungee Jumping

If you experience any vision changes or eye problems after bungee jumping, it requires prompt medical evaluation to determine if emergency treatment for a detached retina is needed. Symptoms may include:

• Sudden appearance of floaters or flashes of light
• Blurred vision or loss of visual acuity
• Appearance of a curtain, veil or shadow over the visual field
• Decreased peripheral vision
• Appearance of a gray spot in central vision

Keep in mind many conditions can cause vision changes after an activity like bungee jumping. Symptoms alone cannot diagnose a detached retina. Prompt examination by an ophthalmologist is required.

Can a Detached Retina After Bungee Jumping Be Fixed?

Yes. If caught and treated early, a detached retina frequently can be repaired successfully. An ophthalmologist, or eye surgeon, has two options to reattach the retina:

1. Pneumatic retinopexy - This is done in the doctor's office. Gas bubbles are injected into the eye with a needle to flatten the detached area back into position against the eye wall as it heals.
2. Vitrectomy surgery - During this outpatient surgery, specialized instruments are used to remove the vitreous gel in the eye and reposition the detached retina back into place. It is then secured with laser treatments or a freezing probe.

With prompt surgical treatment in uncomplicated cases, over 9 out of 10 retinal detachment repairs are successful in restoring good vision. Delaying care risks permanent vision impairment.

Preventing Bungee Jumping Eye Injuries

You can take steps before and during bungee jumping to minimize risks to your eyes:

• Wear protective eye goggles to shield your eyes from debris, bugs, branches or other materials that could hit them during jumps.
• Inspect bungee cords, harnesses, platforms, and landing areas to ensure proper setup, rigging, conditions, and padding prior to jumps.
• Perform proper jump techniques - no flips, spins or tricks that cause uncontrolled rebounds or collisions which further jar the head and eyes.
• Avoid bungee jumping if you have pre-existing retinal issues, are severely nearsighted, or over age 40. The risk profiles tend to be higher.
• Consult an ophthalmologist if experiencing visual disturbances after bungee jumping to rule out potentially blinding retinal detachments requiring quick fix.

The Bottom Line...

Bungee jumping does involve risk, but death-defying reward for thrill seekers. Still, fears linger whether the forces involved can detach the retinas inside eyes.

While detached retinas from bungee jumping are rare, they remain a real danger. Factors like older age, nearsightedness, prior eye issues, and jump heights/collisions can increase risks of damaging vision from the sport.

Still, bungee jumping eye injuries are relatively few when safety guidelines are followed. Wearing eye protection and avoiding flips or spins mid-jump protects vision. And prompt post-jump eye exams for any vision changes can save sight should a dangerous retinal detachment occur.

So by understanding the risks, taking safety measures, and acting quickly when symptoms arise, bungee jumpers can spot retinal detachment dangers - and keep their vision on the exhilarating views and experiences this extreme sport has to offer.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.