Has there been any research on this? ATN came out with a very reasonably priced head mounted thermal. Just wondering if it could cause permanent eye damage if you walked around in the woods for hours looking through it. You always lose your night vision in the eye when staring through a thermal but did not know if there could be permanent damage if you stare through one constantly for a long period of time.
Is long term use of thermals bad for your eyes?
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Double Naught Spy
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Yep, we are all blind from staring through thermal. 
What sort of permanent eye damage are you talking about potentially occurring?
What sort of permanent eye damage are you talking about potentially occurring?
xsn10s
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I don't know about today's thermals but I used some of the first gen ones in the Army. And we were warned about extended use. A google search turned up this thread.
www.snipershide.com
Night Vision - NV (thermal) bad for the eyes?
It's common knowledge among optometrists that staring at a screen (tv, laptop, phones) in a dark environment without exterior lighting will degrade one's vision rather quickly. Does the same not apply when we run around in our 14s and stay on the thermal scope for ours at a time, just observing...
www.snipershide.com
I saw that one. The article is kind of scary. It says there has been some research that suggests that blue light can damage your retinal cells and possibly lead to macular degeneration.I don't know about today's thermals but I used some of the first gen ones in the Army. And we were warned about extended use. A google search turned up this thread.
Night Vision - NV (thermal) bad for the eyes?
It's common knowledge among optometrists that staring at a screen (tv, laptop, phones) in a dark environment without exterior lighting will degrade one's vision rather quickly. Does the same not apply when we run around in our 14s and stay on the thermal scope for ours at a time, just observing...
xsn10s
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Yeah the ones I used were far different than the commercial ones. But I'd consult the manufacturer or just get the filtering glasses they suggest. And maybe speak to your eye doctor. I don't use them anymore. I got scared of the dark
snox801
Well-Known Member
It may! Just like playing. With yourself but I'm not gonna stop doing either that's why we have lasik.
Lol
ericbc7
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are the eyepiece screens not simply LED or OLED screens?
BallisticsGuy
Well-Known Member
No worse than watching tv in the dark since that's literally what you're doing. Human eyes come factory equipped with an automatic self-adjusting f-stop which helps a lot.
The only difference is that you you aren't pressing your eye against the TV screen at night.
Coatings for prescription glasses have been available for some time. They are suggested for anyone who has a lot of screen time.
Mom has been gone 12+ years and still gets smarter every year. She always said when I was a kid, "Don't sit close to the TV you'll damage your eyes!!! Wish I'd have paid more attention to what Mom and Dad tried to teach me. Wise beyond their education. Too soon old; too late smart.
Going to the NRA Convention is Houston next weekend. Will try to remember to ask NV/Thermal manufacturers about this. Not a chance in Hell to remember.......writing down on "NRA To Do List."
The definitive answer to your question is no. You will always regain your night vision as long as your eyes are disease free.
There are two systems in the eye for adjusting to different light levels. The eye's iris which you describe provides a fast response to changing light levels. It is a mechanical system that opens or closes the opening depending on the light level. Adjustments are rapid, but the range of adjustment is limited. Small openings (high F-stop) increase the depth of field but in the extreme cause diffraction effects that distort the image (or if you are a photographer can provide "artistic effects").
A second system is a chemical system that works with the iris to extend the useful range of our eyes. It uses a photosensitive pigment in the eye. Bright light causes the pigment to decompose reducing sensitivity, this happens quickly. Dim light causes the molecules to regenerate and the eye becomes more sensitive to light improving night vision, this is a relatively slow process. It is this system that is responsible for what we call night adaptation.
Doug Herold
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George Dean is correct. I asked that specific question to my opthamologist, a full professor at University od North Carolina Chapel Hill. Answer: will not hurt your eyes.
