In the era of a sedentary lifestyle and an increase in lifestyle diseases, a whole new generation of Gen X wants to get fitter and that too faster. They are also looking at accessibility and instant gratification.

In the quest for such a sport, badminton plays a very vital part. It’s a non-contact sport, so they assume injuries are lesser. It’s also affordable, unlike tennis or golf. Everyone has access, especially with many badminton academies on almost every street corner — or, for that matter, even gully badminton.

They sweat a lot, socialise with their group over a post-game chai, and every game gives them instant gratification — that they are getting fitter. It’s like cricket; anyone can play it without training. But those are endorphins talking. But how much are you willing to risk to get that endorphin rush? Read on.

A patient walked into my clinic, covering his bloodshot eye in pain. A shuttle cock hit his eye while he came in the way of a smash from his opponent. His vision was around 6/60, which is close to near total blindness (6/6 being normal vision) He said he was seeing just plain white.

I diagnosed him with a condition called Commotio Retinae where the photoreceptors of the eye had been disturbed. After a series of investigations and steroid medication his vision eventually became better.

To understand the injury caused by the shuttle cock you will have to understand the anatomy of the orbit where the eyeball is situated and also the parts of the shuttle cock. Years of evolutionary changes have ensured the eyeball is located safely inside the eye socket of the orbit in the skull.

The advancement of technology has driven human evolution forward, leading to the emergence of sports like badminton. It has also increased the risk of injury.

The shuttle cock has a cork head and a feather crown. Its mass is forward-oriented, and when the gut of the badminton racquet hits the cork, it’s propelled forward with incredible velocity, with the feather crown keeping its trajectory linear. It’s like a space rocket. Speed radars in the court have recorded the shuttle cock flying at speeds of 550 Kmph. That’s almost 500kmph short of Mach 1.

The cork head fits perfectly into the eyeball socket like a glove. The eye socket bones aren’t designed by evolution to prevent such an unexpected blunt trauma.

I remember talking to one of my friends, a state-level badminton champ. He said that while playing a tournament, he happened to face a smash by his opponent that would have landed in his eye.

He moved swiftly and just had time to sidestep to return the shuttle cock as a drop shot and score that point.

Years of training have taught him how to face a smash and all other kinds of trauma, including that caused by his doubles partner’s racquet. A professional athlete is a complete joy to watch. They are a brilliant symphony of footwork, body-core muscle engagement, and arm muscles working in tandem, orchestrated by a highly evolved brain that plans the game strategy.

Immediately after a traumatic episode, patients can report to the doctor with symptoms ranging from eyelid swelling to redness and extreme sensitivity to room light. The eye doctor will perform a slit lamp biomicroscopy examination to detect if there are signs of blood in the front part of the eye, a condition called Hyphaema.

If the clear part of the eye, the cornea is traumatized, it is known as an epithelial defect.

The iris muscle can be torn, known as a sphincter tear. Optical coherence imaging can be done to identify narrowed anterior chamber angles, which can lead to a condition called Glaucoma, resulting in increased eye pressure.

In the retina, it can cause a condition called Commotio Retinae or Berlin’s Edema, which is fluid accumulation in the vision-capturing area of the eye called macula. All of the conditions mentioned can be treated medically and through daycare. However, Malignant Glaucoma is considered an emergency and will require admission. If there is any retinal detachment, surgery may also be required, but this scenario is rare.

Consider getting trained in badminton to prevent injuries and stay fit while playing. Also, wearing protective eyewear is essential, even though it may limit your peripheral vision. For this reason, many professional athletes choose not to wear glasses, but safety should always come first.

Annually, around 1 million people experience vision impairment due to ocular trauma.

I always advise my patients to take up running as a sport. It’s one of the best and cheapest ways to stay fit. It’s noncontact, and once you learn the technique, running can easily be mastered without injury to your knees and ankles.

Enjoy the sport for what it’s meant to be. Stay fit. Don’t play an aggressive game, which increases your risk of ocular eye trauma.