![]() This disrupts the retinal pigment epithelium (a layer of supportive cells beneath the retina) as well as the choriocapillaris (blood vessels) beneath.įragmentation of the photoreceptors, nerve cells within the retina that detect light and colour, follows and can result in permanent loss of central vision. It is typically caused by sungazing or eclipse viewing but can also result from welding without a shield, looking at laser pointers and from some surgical and photographic lighting.Ī process called "phototoxicity" happens when the energy in the light forms damaging free radicals and reacts with oxygen within the retina. Solar retinopathy is damage to the back of the eye (the fovea centralis in the retina) from exposure to intense light. (iStock) What happens to your eye when you stare at the SSun? READ MORE: Exact number of steps you need to walk each day to live longer Light can damage the retina at the back of the eye. “If you don’t try to sneak a peek without the filter,” says Chou, “Then you should not run any risk of being hurt.For those people affected by solar retinopathy, the results can be devastating and lifelong. NASA also suggests you inspect your filter before putting it on, and discard it if it has any scratches or damages. The American Astronomical Society has released a list of manufacturers selling these glasses that meet this standard. When the glasses are on, NASA says, it is imperative that you don’t look at the sun through an unfiltered camera lens, telescope, or binoculars.Īdditionally, make sure that the brand of glasses you buy has been verified to meet the international safety standard, something Chou emphasized as critical to injury prevention. ![]() But also make sure follow NASA’s instructions in using these glasses. To ensure your experience is injury-free, listen to NASA’s advisory and buy eclipse glasses, which block approximately 99.99% of light rays. “It’s only if you start looking at large populations in the hundreds of millions that you start adding up into significant numbers.” What Can I Do to Protect My Eyes? “It’s a fact that for individual practitioners, they are not seeing that many overall,” Chou said. Of the cases reported over the years, Chou said half the people afflicted completely recovered their vision over the course of the following year. In Canada, 20 cases were reported following the total solar eclipse of 1979. Although Chou said there is no definitive data on the number of people afflicted with eclipse blindness, he noted that after a solar eclipse crossed Britain in 1999, ophthalmologists reported 70 instances of eye injuries, and the majority of those people had viewed the eclipse unfiltered. However, it is a relatively rare occurrence. People have hurt their eyes by watching the sun during a solar eclipse unfiltered. This does happen, but not until at least three months after the injury. There are no remedies to effectively mitigate the injury, said Chou, aside from waiting and seeing if the patient regains vision. “They can’t see faces in the mirror, they can’t read the newspaper or the smartphone display, they’re having trouble looking at road signs, and basically they’ve got this center spot in their vision that is intensely blurred,” Chou said. According to Chou, symptoms generally begin occurring 12 hours after viewing the eclipse, when people wake up in the morning and notice their vision has been altered. If you look at the sun unfiltered, you may immediately notice a dazzle effect, or a glare the way you would from any bright object, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your retina is damaged. There are no immediate symptoms or pain associated with the damage - the retina doesn’t have any pain receptors - so its hard to know at the time if you’ve actually been afflicted with eclipse blindness.
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