How to Know if Your Eyes Are Damaged from the Eclipse

Charna Flam
·2 min read
5

The American Academy of Ophthalmology issued a list of symptoms, which may even appear even a day or two after exposure

<p>Hector Vivas/Getty</p> The sun disappears behind the moon during the Great North American Eclipse on April 08, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico.

Hector Vivas/Getty

The sun disappears behind the moon during the Great North American Eclipse on April 08, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico.

Millions of people across America watched the April 8 total solar eclipse, but some may be worried that they accidentally damaged their eyes.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology issued a list of symptoms that people should look out for in the next few days.

Symptoms of "solar retinopathy" include blurry vision, headache, a blind spot in your central vision in one or both eyes, increased sensitivity to light, distorted vision and changes in the way you see color, known as "dyschromatopsia."

<p>Hector Vivas/Getty</p> The eclipse on April 08, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico

Hector Vivas/Getty

The eclipse on April 08, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico

Related: Woman Describes 'Blind Spot' from Looking at Last Solar Eclipse, Warns 'Don't Be Like Me'

While "there is no treatment for solar retinopathy," the organization continued, "many people recover after three to six months, but some will suffer from permanent vision loss, in the form of a small blind spot and distortion."

And, these symptoms may not show up immediately after viewing the eclipse.

“In these cases, patients commonly present with vision changes a few days after viewing the eclipse without eye safety,” added Dr. Abhiniti Mittal, a University of Buffalo ophthalmology resident. “Most do recover vision within a few months, but a severe injury can have more prolonged effects.”

<p>Kent Nishimura/Getty</p> Barbara McLaughlin from Washington, DC, and her granddaughter on April 8, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Kent Nishimura/Getty

Barbara McLaughlin from Washington, DC, and her granddaughter on April 8, 2024 in Washington, DC.

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And remember that if your eyes feel uncomfortable, "it may not be a sign of solar retinopathy," says the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, an ophthalmologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, said that more people arrive at emergency rooms worried about the damage to their eyes but, in most instances, are not diagnosed with eye damage, per NPR.

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