Experts have already warned that one should be careful when viewing the eclipse as it could damage the eyes without proper solar glasses. Several netizens shared some complaints about their eyes less than 24 hours after watching the total solar eclipse on Monday.
Netizens Complained About Boiling Eyes After Watching Total Solar Eclipse
Millions of people from different areas in the world, including those in the United States, anticipated the total solar eclipse on April 8. Less than 24 hours after the phenomenon, several took to X, formerly Twitter, to share what they felt about their eyes.
One said they kept looking at the eclipse with their bare eyes and had been suffering since. The online user said they had a major headache and their eyes were sore.
Another shared that their eyes were boiling and necks were sore after watching the eclipse. Also, the searches for "eyes are sore" trended on Google searches after the event.
This isn't the first time several individuals reported feeling something in their eyes after an eclipse. In 2017, around 100 individuals in the United States and Canada visited eyecare professionals due to eclipse-related retina damage, according to an informal survey for the American Astronomical Society.
That was why NASA experts and eye doctors consistently reminded the public to view the eclipse only using authentic solar glasses or safe handheld solar viewers, but a number of people just can't resist the urge to look up without the right tools.
Eye Damage From Solar Eclipse Can Be Permanent
Cases of solar-related eye damage usually affect the retina. However, the back of the eye lacks pain nerves, so one would not feel any discomfort, suggesting early warning about the damage.
"Your retina can be damaged even before you realize it and by then it can be too late to save your vision," according to NASA experts.
Those who are concerned about their eyes should look out for "visual symptoms within four to six hours" or even the day after the solar eclipse, rather than just "eye pain," according to specialists with the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Headaches, blurred vision, a "blind spot" in one or both eyes, strange hues or discoloration of your vision, eye sensitivity, or visual distortions are some indicators of damage caused by "solar retinopathy." These distortions can be especially odd, warping or twisting your central vision or making items appear smaller than they actually are.
AAO spokesperson Susanne Medeiros, however, said many recover after experiencing the symptoms three to six months later. But some suffer from permanent vision loss, in the form of a small blind spot and distortion.
According to doctors, the macula -- a "small but important area" -- is one of the retina's most vulnerable parts. It is essential for distinguishing details, such as written text.
A brief exposure to the sun during an eclipse, as little as a few seconds, can burn the macula either permanently or temporarily, according to Johns Hopkins ophthalmologists Neil Bressler, Jun Kong, and J. Fernando Arévalo.
"Once retina tissue is destroyed, it cannot regenerate, resulting in permanent central vision loss," the trio wrote.
Damage to the macula can have startling consequences, such as making one's own face appear blank in a mirror or making words in a newspaper appear blank.
A person's retina can be harmed by solar radiation in as little as 100 seconds, while actual exposure times might vary depending on factors including the sun's intensity, which can change depending on the time of day and location, as well as an individual's ocular health.
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