Did you damage your eyes watching the eclipse? Here's how to tell

Caroline Kee
·4 min read
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On Monday, April 8, a solar eclipse swept across the continental United States. Millions of people flocked outside to catch a glimpse of the moon passing between the Earth and the sun, which can cause eye damage without the proper protection.

Looking at the sun on any normal day is enough to make your eyes hurt. The rare cosmic phenomenon made it especially tempting to gaze into the star at the heart of our solar system.

There are several different ways to safely view an eclipse, from wearing eclipse glasses to using special solar filters on binoculars or telescopes, per the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

There are also several unsafe ways to view a solar eclipse — including with looking with your bare eyes, wearing normal sunglasses, or looking through an unfiltered camera lens.

Those who failed to use safe viewing methods may be wondering if looking at the once-in-a-lifetime solar event damaged their eyes.

Google searches for “hurt eyes” spiked Monday afternoon, shortly after many people experienced the eclipse, NBC News previously reported.

Why does the solar eclipse hurt your eyes?

According to the AAO, there is no safe time to look at the sun with the naked eye, and you must protect your eyes while watching the entire eclipse.

"Many people don’t realize they can get hurt by staring directly at the sun without the proper protection," Dr. Russell N. Van Gelder, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, previously told TODAY.com.

The danger of permanent damage and vision loss is very real, Van Gelder added. The lens of the eye is like a powerful magnifying glass. Staring at the sun can focus all the energy from the light onto the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye, per the Cleveland Clinic. This can cause a burn or a hole in the vision.

It can only take a matter of seconds for the sun’s ultraviolet rays to damage the retina, which is known as solar retinopathy.

Complaints of eye issues and injuries have been documented after past eclipse events, but long-term damage and vision loss is due to eclipse-viewing is relatively uncommon, NBC News reported.

Symptoms of eye damage after the eclipse

While the UV rays are damaging the retina, you won't feel any pain or discomfort because the retina doesn’t have pain fibers.

However, after the exposure, you may experience symptoms of solar retinopathy. These can develop anywhere within hours or days after injury, NBC Dallas Fort Worth, where there was a total eclipse, reported.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe, according to the Cleveland Clinic. These include:

  • Watery eyes

  • Headache

  • Sensitivity to light

  • Eye pain

  • Color deficiencies

  • Blind spots in one or both eyes

  • Distorted vision where objects seem smaller than they are

  • Distorted vision where straight lines appear rounded

Anyone can develop solar retinopathy, but children and young adults are at increased risk, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Headache after the eclipse

If you have a headache after watching the solar eclipse, it may be a mild symptom of solar retinopathy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Solar retinopathy occurs when your retina becomes damaged after looking at the sun or another bright light, like a laser pointer.

You can take over-the-counter medication, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to relieve the pain, which is likely nothing to worry about, Van Gelder said. The headache might also occur with photosensitivity, so avoid looking at bright lights.

If your headache persists or is accompanied by other symptoms of solar retinopathy, contact your health care provider.

What to do if your eyes or head hurt after eclipse

“If people are having pain, it’s probably not anything significant,” Van Gelder told NBC News. Over-the-counter pain medication can help relieve eye pain or headaches. If you experience light sensitivity, avoid bright light sources.

Always wear sunglasses that offer 100% protection from both UVA/UVB rays when you are outside during the day, TODAY.com previously reported.

People who experience vision problems after watching the solar eclipse should see an ophthalmologist immediately. An ophthalmologist can examine the eyes for signs of solar retinopathy and perform tests to check for damage.

There is no specific treatment for solar retinopathy, but some people recover their vision over time. Mild symptoms and vision problems typically resolve on their own, per the Cleveland Clinic, but severe cases may lead to irreversible vision loss.

Research shows that roughly 25% of patients who develop solar retinopathy suffer permanent damage, TODAY.com previously reported. There have been documented cases of people becoming legally blind in at least one eye from watching a solar eclipse.

However, data suggest that long-term damage or vision loss after eclipses is not common, NBC News reported.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com