Immediately after Monday's solar eclipse, the number of people searching Google for eye-related injuries jumped, while a New York City doctor said she had treated a large number of patients with eye pain.
“I've had many patients who panicked and said, 'I don't want to go blind,'” Dr. Janet Nesheiwat, a dual-board-certified physician based in New York City, tells Fox News Digital. “I couldn't believe it. People were already looking at the eclipse without protection.”
Doctors and eye specialists have been warning the public for days not to look directly at the sun, but it seems that some did not listen to the advice.
Eye Safety During a Solar Eclipse: Can Staring at the Sun Lead to Blindness?
People look skyward at the Edge at Hudson Yards observation deck before the total solar eclipse in New York City on April 8, 2024. (Charlie Tripalo/AFP)
Looking at the sun without protective equipment such as solar eclipse glasses can damage vision and can lead to serious and permanent damage. Sunlight can burn the retina and damage the macula, the part of the retina located at the back of the eye that is responsible for central vision, Nesheiwat says.
Google searches for “hurt eyes” and “why do my eyes hurt after an eclipse” spiked after the moon and sun aligned on Monday.
Regarding national numbers, a CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the National Center for Health Statistics does not have any data on eye damage after an eclipse.
However, Nesheiwat says she has treated as many as eight patients who came to City MD, which operates near Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, with one patient looking at the sun either directly or through their phone for about 10 minutes.
“The damage can be irreversible if the retina is severely damaged by looking directly into the eye without proper eye protection. Some people may experience mild symptoms if exposure to sunlight is short.”
Dr. Janet Nesheiwat says she treated patients with eye damage on the Monday after the eclipse. (Fox News, left, and Gary Hirschorn/Getty Images, right.)
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“The symptoms my patients experienced included headaches, blurry vision, and nausea, while one of my patients said he was seeing spots. Other symptoms could include a change in color vision,” Nesheiwat added, saying she sent the patient to an eye care specialist, known as an ophthalmologist, for more information. Of treatment. “Then it was crazy, we were trying to schedule them with eye specialists and the eye specialists were all booked within an hour.”
She treated some patients with nausea medications and eye drops and recommended follow-up appointments with an ophthalmologist.
Nesheiwat said symptoms may appear after a few days, and she urged people to see a doctor for a complete eye examination if that's the case.
In the meantime, she said, these people should stop looking at the sun, avoid rubbing their eyes, and avoid eye-stressing activities such as excessive reading or using electronic devices. She added that they need to make sure they wear sunglasses with UV protection when they are outdoors as well.
People watch with sunglasses as the moon begins to cross in front of the sun during a total solar eclipse in Carbondale, Illinois on April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
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While the vast majority took precautions while gazing at the eclipse, there is a possibility that some may have done so using recovered solar eclipse glasses.
The Illinois Department of Public Health sent out a last-minute recall notice Monday for eclipse glasses that may have failed to meet safety standards.
The agency asked customers to double-check whether they purchased glasses marked “EN ISO 12312-1:2022” and warned them against using glasses to view the eclipse.
The glasses in question were reportedly sold via Amazon as “2024 Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved – CE and ISO Approved Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Pack).” The glasses were also reportedly available at several retail establishments in southern Illinois, including Farm Fresh Market in Breese, Highland Tru Buy in Highland, Perry County Marketplace in Pinckneyville, Sinclair Foods in Jerseyville, Steelville Marketplace in Steelville, and Big John Grocery in Metropolis.
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