‘Why do my eyes hurt?’ and ‘My eyes hurt’ are top of people’s complaints after looking at the solar eclipse, and here’s why.
The queries from people about hurting eyes are most likely a result of viewing the solar eclipse without an approved protective shade.
According to medical experts, watching the solar eclipse with the naked eye can cause severe retinal damage. However, those who followed the approved safety tips and used recommended solar eclipse glasses to view Monday’s event will not have any serious damage done to their eyes.
Nonetheless, anyone with symptoms like soreness in the eyes, pain, or in severe cases, persistent blurriness of vision, is strongly recommended to visit an eye doctor.
Regular sunshades cannot provide the required protection when viewing the solar eclipse. Only glasses that have the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12312-2, and the American Astronomical Society can offer that.
How Does Watching The Solar Eclipse Damage The Eyes
Suzanne Fleiszig, a professor of optometry and vision science at Berkeley’s School of Optometry answers the question if watching a solar eclipse can damage the eyes. According to Fleiszig, during a solar eclipse, some wavelengths that trigger pain are blocked, thereby, dulling the natural reflex to look away when one stares directly at the sun. But even though the sun is partially obscured, some rays enough to damage the eyes still get through.
What Should I Do If I Watched The Solar Eclipse Without Approved Glasses
Seth Laster, an optometrist in Fort Smith, Ark, says you should look out for symptoms like pain or blurred vision If you watched the solar eclipse without protection.
If your vision is blurry, or you see gray spots that don’t go away, you may have suffered damage to your retinas, she said.
One might not notice the damage right away, as it might take a few hours to days to manifest. According to Tamara Oechslin, an optometrist and associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, “viewing the sun is often like getting a sunburn, you don’t notice the worst of the damage until an hour or two later.”
Experts however concluded that no matter how long the symptoms last, it is best to visit your doctor.