Searches Regarding Eye Hurt Surges In Google After The Total Solar Eclipse
Searches for “why do my eyes hurt” surge in Google after the occurring of total lunar eclipse, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Though it is a widely known fact that seeing an eclipse with naked eyes can cause damage to retina, the skywatchers may not immediately come across the effect of directly watching the solar eclipse without enough protection.
After the total solar eclipse happened on April 8 in some part of United States, some people started experiencing eye itching, pain and discomfort. It caused the concern that some might have accidentally damaged their eyes. NASA has previously advised that only lab tested glasses should be used to watch the eclipse, as a precautionary measure to protect the eyes from the solar retinopathy or retinal blindness, which is also called as Dyschromatopsia.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology released a list of symptoms to look out for the possible solar retinopathy in the coming days, so that people can keep their eyes healthy and safe. The symptoms of solar retinopathy include severe head aches, central blind spot, blurred vision, increase in light sensitivity, change in how colours are perceived and distorted vision. Experts say these symptoms may not be immediately visible but take some time to appear.
The visual symptoms usually begin within six to 12 hours. Some people might experience them sooner. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says, “damage from the eclipse is unlikely to cause pain or discomfort in your eyes because the retina does not have any pain nerves…Instead, you would notice visual symptoms within four to six hours. But some may notice symptoms after 12 hours”.
As per experts, there is no particular treatment for solar retinopathy, said media reports. It is suggested that some people will ultimately recover from the issue after sometime. But in some cases, there is fear of permanent vision loss.
However, medical experts suggest that not all discomfort after watching an eclipse is solar retinopathy, and it is okay to feel the discomfort. Some people rush to hospital to find that nothing is wrong.
