Like any racquet sport, pickleball has some obvious risks: players sometimes fall, or they injure a shoulder, arm, or leg throughout the game. A study published online now on October 16, 2025 JAMA Ophthalmology suggests that because the variety of athletes has increased, so has the variety of eye injuries. Using a nationally representative sample of pickleball-related eye injuries reported by emergency departments, the researchers estimated that these injuries increased by about 400 cases annually, from lower than 200 in 2021 to 1,262 in 2024. Most occur in people 50 years of age or older and infrequently have damage to the surface of the attention, near-retinal injuries, or damage to the surface of the kidney. A fall or direct hit from the paddle or ball. This study could have underestimated the true variety of game-related eye injuries, because it only counted emergency department cases. Although the number of individuals experiencing eye injuries from playing pickleball may increase, the general incidence is prone to be low. So, these results don't mean you should not play. However, you might want to think about wearing protective glasses on the court, especially if you happen to are at high risk for eye problems – for instance, from a family history of retinal detachment.
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