Fighting with short-sightedness/myopia

I saw another topic on this from a while ago but thought I'd get a few opinions, especially as my question is slightly different.

I have mild myopia/short-sightedness (-2.75) so I can make things out although they are blurry and get more so the further away they are. The extent of my boxing so far is just training and sparring so I dunno how it would be in a full on bout with no headguards but Im guessing having myopia gives you a slight disadvantage. I have been toying with the idea of getting laser eye surgery. Can anyone tell me if it is dangerous to continue to box after this procedure? Also is anyone here in the same position as me regarding eyesight and boxing? Would be great to hear some other points of view.

Thanks!

I have -3.75 in both eyes and its not too bad i find.

Laser eye surgery is as a rule very safe, but as with any procedure, things can potentially go wrong. Basically, worst case scenario, you go blind, but that happens about as often as someone dying from a routine surgery (that is, next to never). Most likely bad scenario is that they cant correct your vision completely. But a huge huge majority of the time, it goes off without a hitch. The only downside is that it is still very very expensive. If I remember correctly, it can run about two grand for both eyes.

But on a side note, I have perfect vision, but I cant imagine that being short sighted would hurt you too much while boxing, but I guess it depends on how quickly your sight starts to get blurry and at what distance :P

When will you compete with out a head guard on? ;) You'll compete in the Amatuers first and that will be with a headguard (not a full face one). I find Sparring head guards restrict your veiw slightly any way.

Your best bet is just to enquire and ask the doctors, it may be a case of you having to wait a few days/weeks/months, it may be a case of not at all.

No harm in asking them, they're not gonna charge you for advice like that if it meens you don't get the surgery ;)

wht do u mean full face guard we spar with the same head guards we fight in at my gym

covers your jaw and your cheek bones.

My coach isn't really bothered what we where as long as its good quality and covers the head, we have full face and open.

You've never seen them before? ???

no saw one tonight this kid from another gym who i sparred had on the thing was massive and went all over his cheeks

You can buy stupidly big ones with like inches and inches of padding on the jaw... and nose...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hitmanhattonuk

I saw another topic on this from a while ago but thought I'd get a few opinions, especially as my question is slightly different.

I have mild myopia/short-sightedness (-2.75) so I can make things out although they are blurry and get more so the further away they are. The extent of my boxing so far is just training and sparring so I dunno how it would be in a full on bout with no headguards but Im guessing having myopia gives you a slight disadvantage. I have been toying with the idea of getting laser eye surgery. Can anyone tell me if it is dangerous to continue to box after this procedure? Also is anyone here in the same position as me regarding eyesight and boxing? Would be great to hear some other points of view.

Thanks!

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im in excattly the same position at the moment, short sighted and doing boxing training and hoping for a fight while also saving 2 get eye surgery done, i havent seemed 2 have any trouble in the ring sparrin with short sightedness as yet, but when i went and saw my optometrist bout gettin eye surgery i also mentioned that i was boxing and if it would affect that, he sed that cos im short sighted my eye tissuse is thinner than a normally functioning eye, in other words its my eye is bigger much like a balloon, the more air in it the thinner it becomes. he sed i shouldnt have anytrouble boxing so longs as im wearing proper head gear, should be a good incentive not 2 get hit inside the ring tho.

Just means you wont see the punch clearly until it hits you lol, im sure you wouldnt be the only one with this so their must be away to get around it .

Id think that you'd need at least a 4 month break after eye surgery though for it to heal from what i have heard. dont take my word for it though

but surely if stuff is just blurey when close up u shud still be able to make out the gloves face and tht so u shud be ok

I'm not a boxer but I had the eye surgery done. It's pretty quick and sort of painless. Although the 4-5 hours after is pretty bad. I'd say 80% of the time they give you 20/20 or better and 90% of the time you are legal to drive with 20/40. I was only like -2.75 (don't know what that is as far as 20/?) but now am 20/15 and 20/20. HOWEVER, you must not take any hits around the eye for a while after the surgery. I believe for 1 month you can't really do anything slightly dangerous even like basketball and my doctor said 6 months before he would recommend full contact fighting. Ask your doctor though. Oh, and mine was $2800 for both eyes, but that includes "lifetime touchup" so basically I'll never need anything other than reading glasses again when I get old.....definitely worth it.

I guess if your fighting a taller opponent with long reach it will affect you cos it may delay you by a fraction of a second. Bruce Lee was shortsighted so it definetly can be overcomed.

I read a book in the 70's called the boxing doctor, by a doctor called Goldstein. They found Myopia sufferers were more susceptable to petite Mahls. (smaller version of epilepsy). This I believe is the reason why boxers are not allowed pro licenses with this condition.

Check it out but I am pretty sure that this isnt too far from the truth.

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