If you were able to watch Monday’s total solar eclipse in person, you got a special treat.
If you think you did something to your eyes because of it, you’re not alone.
It takes only moments to do damage to your eyes, and if you looked at the eclipse without proper protection and think you aren’t seeing as well as you did on Sunday, you might be right.
Solar retinopathy or “eclipse blindness” can happen if you stare at the sun without wearing the correct glasses.
The glare of the sun during the partial eclipse that happens before and after a total eclipse can damage a part of the eye called the macula. The macula is part of the retina and sits at the back of the eye. It is about 5 mm across and is responsible for central vision, most of our color vision and the fine detail of what we see, according to the Macular Society.
“Even a few seconds of such viewing can temporarily or permanently burn the center of the retina,” researchers wrote in 2017 about witnessing a solar eclipse without proper eye protection. “Once retina tissue is destroyed, like brain tissue, it cannot regenerate, resulting in permanent central vision loss.”
While spending time outside looking up at the sky may leave you feeling like you have damaged your eyes, eye injuries of that type are rare.
Dr. Ralph Chou, an expert on safely viewing solar eclipses, told NPR that fewer than 100 cases of eye problems were recorded across Canada and the U.S. after the 2017 solar eclipse.
What does the damage feel like? The American Academy of Ophthalmology says signs of solar retinopathy include:
- Headache.
- A blind spot in your central vision in one or both eyes.
- Increased sensitivity to light.
- Distorted vision, in which a straight line looks bent, or a door jamb looks curvy.
- Changes in the way you see color, known as “dyschromatopsia.”
- Blurred vision.
- Eye pain.
- Micropsia (objects appear smaller than they are).
You’ll likely notice visual symptoms within four to six hours. However, it may take more time — about 12 hours — for some to notice symptoms.
Can it be fixed?
The bad news is that there is no treatment for solar retinopathy.
Many people recover after three to six months, but some will suffer from permanent vision loss. You’ll see the problem as a small blind spot and/or distortion in your vision.
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