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Total solar eclipse 2024: As the 2024 total solar eclipse darkens the sky over parts of the United States and Canada, the question “Why do my eyes hurt?” The number of people wanting to know increased rapidly. And Google “my eyes hurt”.
Although it is widely understood that viewing an eclipse with the naked eye can cause retina damage, commonly referred to as solar retinopathy or retinal blindness, skywatchers may immediately feel the effects of viewing a solar eclipse directly without adequate protection. can not do.
Why is it dangerous to view a solar eclipse without eye protection?
Eye experts have always cautioned people against viewing the solar eclipse without proper protection as the sun’s rays can damage the eyes.
The sun’s strong rays can burn the retinal cells at the back of the eye. Since the retina does not contain pain receptors, there is no way to sense the damage that has occurred. Once cells die they do not come back.
Solar eye damage, called solar retinopathy, can cause blurred vision and color distortion.
In a 2017 case of retinopathy, a woman who viewed a solar eclipse with the naked eye reported a black dot in her vision. He was later discovered to have retinal damage that mirrored the size of the eclipse.
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“The dark spot she was describing was crescent-shaped,” Dr. Avneesh Devbhakta, a Mount Sinai ophthalmologist, was quoted as saying by the AP.
Experts around the world recommend not to watch the solar eclipse even for a few seconds without any protection. There are reports of solar retinopathy after each solar eclipse, and American eye doctors saw dozens of additional visits after 2017.
“It can be dangerous if we’re not careful, but it’s also very safe if we take basic precautions,” said Dr. Jeffrey Emerson, a board member of the American Society of Retina Specialists.
(with AP input)
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Published: 09 April 2024, 06:28 am IST
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