Signs You Damaged Your Eyes by Looking at the Solar Eclipse

Did you look directly at the solar eclipse? You might have caused permanent eye damage without even knowing it.

If you were like many of us and found yourself outside staring up in the sky on Monday afternoon April 8th to look at the almost total solar eclipse did you make the mistake of peaking without having your eclipse glasses on?

Experts warned us for weeks that we should NOT look at the total solar eclipse without the proper eye protection. The repeated warnings told us that if we looked at the sun during an eclipse without certified viewing glasses we could cause permanent eye damage.

Did You Look at the Sun During the Eclipse?

Experts say that the only time it was safe to look without glasses was when the moon completely covered the sun. If you are like many of us (me too) and you did look at the sun during the eclipse experts say you might be suffering today from solar eye damage or solar retinopathy.

Dr. Russell Van Gelder with the American Academy of Ophthalmology told WTEN,

"The lenses of your eye...can concentrate the rays of the sun so strongly as to cause an immediate burn. The same effect will occur in the retina and create essentially a hole in your vision, which sometimes can be permanent."

 

Signs You Damaged Your Eyes

Eye experts say if you did look directly at the sun and soon after noticed seeing temporary "floaters or "flashers" in your vision you may have damaged your eyes.

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Other symptoms of solar eye damage include your eyes feeling sore or painful, blurred vision, sensitivity, and color distortion. If you think you might have solar retinopathy, you should make an appointment with an ophthalmologist.

SEE ALSO: What to Do With Your Eclipse Glasses When its Over in New York

Eye experts say that in most mild cases, folks would experience watery eyes, headaches, and sensitivity to light. The good news is that most mild cases heal on their own, within one to six months, but that's not the case with serious cases. In more serious cases, symptoms include blurry vision, blind spots, eye pain, lines appearing warped and rounded, and objects appearing smaller than they are according to WTEN.