UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre had to take a break from competition because of an eye injury.
Luckily, Mr. St. Pierre's retina was not detached and he will fully recover in a short time.
This story highlights the importance of taking sports impact injuries seriously when they happen to the eye or the head generally. Detached retina due to impact can happen to anyone.
People who are highly myopic are at increased risk of retinal detachment and they need to be extra careful. Even if you have had laser surgery to correct your myopia, your risk level is still high. This is because the surgery merely alters the cornea at the front of your eye and does not change the physiology at the back of your eye where the retina is located.
I frequently have patients who come in to have their retina examined after being hit in the head or near the eye with a baseball or have suffered some other impact. I'm always pleasantly surprised that these patients know about the risk and take their health seriously!
Read more about Georges St. Pierre's injury here.