Americans snarled traffic and jammed small towns as they waited Monday for a glimpse of the solar eclipse. The next day, many people Googled to find out if their eyes were affected.
Solar retinopathy, permanent eye damage from viewing the eclipse without proper protection, is incredibly rare. There are signs to determine if you have irreparable damage or eye fatigue. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Here are some symptoms that merit a visit to a healthcare professional, they say:
- A blind spot in the eye's central vision;
- Increased sensitivity to light;
- distorted vision, such as a straight line being bent;
- changes in the way you see color;
- auspicious vision;
- Visually induced headache.
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“It's really a change in vision that you notice,” Dr. Ashley Brissett, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Ophthalmology and an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell, told USA Today.
He said symptoms may develop four to six hours after a person sees the eclipse. Some people may experience damage after a few days of viewing the eclipse.
These cases should be treated urgently American Optometric Association said. Even if it doesn't turn into solar retinopathy, if conditions persist, it's a good idea to contact an ophthalmologist.
There is no cure if you are diagnosed with solar retinopathy, which is why ophthalmologists and astronomers have launched massive public awareness campaigns about the damage that can lead to eclipses.
“If it's really damaged, it's going to be permanent,” said Dr. Mario Motta, a cardiologist in Boston and a member of the American Astronomical Society's eclipse protection committee. “That's when people start telling us, 'I have a problem.'”
However, it is important to remember that permanent eye damage from an eclipse is extremely rare. American Astronomical Society. The team estimated the last solar eclipse in the United States was in 2017, resulting in about 100 cases An estimated 150 million viewers. It's too early to say how many people will have eye damage from Monday's eclipse.
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What if my eyes hurt?
The retina does not have pain receptors, so this is unlikely to be a sign of solar retinopathy. However, this can represent eye strain even when viewing the eclipse safely using ISO glasses recommended by groups such as the American Astronomical Society.
Bisset said it's like looking at your phone at full brightness in a dark room. It's uncomfortable, but it usually goes away. Experts note that the majority of cases reported in doctors' offices may be eye strain, not solar retinopathy.
Real life examples
There are only a few examples of permanent retinal damage.
During the 2017 eclipse, a Staten Island woman wore glasses she believed were approved for viewing and was watching the partial eclipse. Scarring on her retina in the shape of an eclipse left her with distorted vision, doctors at Mount Sinai New York Eye and Ear Hospital describe in the medical journal. JAMA Ophthalmology. She said it looked like the outline of Pac-Man when she closed her eyes.
Decades ago, childhood friends Lou Tomozoski and Roger Duvall, both now 77, watched a solar eclipse with one eye closed in Portland, Oregon. Both friends have told USA TODAY that they've both had a blind spot in the center of one eye ever since.