Despite numerous warnings, the rare spectacle of a solar eclipse proved too tempting for some people in Victoria on Monday.
Several optometrists reported multiple calls of people complaining about eye pain after looking at the rare celestial event without protection.
“I had patients calling after looking at it for about a minute or so,” said Dr. Balraj Sharma.
“It can definitely cause damage to the back of the eyes if you’re not careful. At least if you had some sunglasses looking at it for a quick second it shouldn’t hurt the back of the eyes, but there’s no guarantees.”
Leading up to Monday’s eclipse, doctors warned solar gazers that not wearing proper eye protection could lead to a lifetime of problems. Even momentary glances at the sun can severely damage a person’s vision.
“If they’re having an after-image after the fact and it’s not going away, it’s really important that they get their eyes checked,” said Sharma. “It’s not reversible, so it’s something that if it did happen, it’s definitely going to stay there.”
Sharma said solar eclipses can cause such serious damage because the effect of the sun is intensified during the rare event.
“It’s definitely heightened for the fact that when you have something covering the sun like that and it’s dark, your pupils actually get quite large,” he said.
Anyone who looked at the eclipse and is now noticing eye pain or a blind spot is urged to get in touch with an eye doctor.
