Pickleball Boom Brings Unexpected Surge in Eye Trauma
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Briana Mercola
4.6 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 25 November 2025
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
- Pickleball's explosive growth has led to a surge in serious eye injuries, with emergency room cases increasing by 405 each year between 2021 and 2024
- Most eye injuries occur in players over 50, whose slower reflexes and vision changes make them more vulnerable to high-speed impacts and falls
- The sport's modern paddles can launch balls over 60 miles per hour at the kitchen line — just 14 feet apart — leaving players less than half a second to react
- Despite the sharp rise in injuries, there are still no universal safety rules requiring protective eyewear in recreational or professional play
- Wearing shatterproof glasses, warming up, and improving balance are simple steps that protect your eyesight and keep pickleball fun, safe, and injury-free
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What would you do if a single miss hit at the net left you with permanent vision loss? |
| 0:04.0 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. |
| 0:08.0 | Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. |
| 0:13.0 | No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. |
| 0:18.0 | Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. |
| 0:21.9 | This episode looks at Pickleball's rapid rise and the parallel surge in eye trauma, |
| 0:26.8 | why it's happening, who is most at risk, and the specific steps you can take today to keep |
| 0:32.1 | playing safely. |
| 0:33.5 | I'm Ethan Foster. |
| 0:35.1 | Pickleball has gone from backyard pastime to a national craze, |
| 0:39.3 | drawing an estimated 19.8 million players in the U.S. The game feels light and social, |
| 0:45.0 | but recent data show a sharp increase in serious eye injuries, especially since 2021. Let's break down |
| 0:51.7 | the numbers and the mechanics that make these incidents more likely. |
| 0:55.0 | I'm Alara Sky. |
| 0:57.0 | A cross-sectional review of nearly two decades of emergency department records, |
| 1:01.0 | estimated 3,112 pickleball-related eye injuries between 2005 and 2024, |
| 1:08.0 | with 1,262 of those in 2024 alone. |
| 1:13.3 | From 2021 through 2024, cases rose by roughly 405 each year. |
| 1:19.7 | That's a clear signal that participation, play speed, and equipment changes are outpacing safety habits. |
| 1:26.8 | Most injuries strike players 50 and older, about 70% of reported cases. |
| 1:32.0 | Age-related changes in reaction time, balance, and vision make fast exchanges at close range |
| 1:37.7 | more hazardous. |
... |
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