Did you damage your eyes during the eclipse? Warning signs for a doctor
The retina does not feel pain and the damage is not immediately felt. The first symptoms arrive within 4-12 hours of observing the solar eclipse.
Maybe you followed all the recommendations to look directly at the eclipse, but in a distraction you took off your glasses prematurely. Even though you didn't notice anything at the time, radiation damagesthe retina without causing pain.
The damage to the retina caused by looking directly at the eclipse with unapproved glasses is called solar retinopathy. Osakidetza and the Ministry of Health of the Spanish Government warn that it does not cause immediate pain because the retina does not have a pain receptor, but the first symptoms appear between 4-12 hours after observation.
What are the alarm signals after the eclipse?
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the UK National Health Service (NHS), the warning signs for a solar retinopathy are:
'The blind spot, or a sort of stain in the middle of the vision.'
- Blurred or reduced vision: sudden loss of purity or visual acuity, and difficulty in focusing details, reading, or facial recognition.
- Visual distortion: straight lines are seen crooked, curved, or wavy.
- Alteration of color perception: colors lose intensity, are perceived with disarray, off, or altered shades.
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia): in the face of the brightness of screens or normal ambient light, there is manifest discomfort or discomfort.
- Headaches: headache or slight discomfort around the eye orbit.
Is there any treatment for eye damage?
In the face of any of these symptoms, Osakidetza advises consultation with regular health services or ophthalmological emergency services. In this regard, Osakidetza will strengthen ophthalmological care these daysin anticipation of an increase in consultations due to inadequate observations to observe the eclipse, thus ensuringthe presence of specialists in ophthalmology in emergencies in reference hospitals in the three historic territories.
Retinian damage from direct observation is "an injury, generally not painful, that can be severe and irreversible", as recalled by the Ministry of Health in the official document "Rápida de Riesgo del Trío de Eclipses 2026-2028".
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