&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Google searches for 'eyes hurt' see shark spike after solar eclipse - 'I think I'm going blind'")
Millions of people watched the total solar eclipse on Wednesday (August 12) in Spain, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Greenland. Doctors had warned not to look at the eclipse with the naked eye, as this could lead to eye issues and even blindness. After the eclipse, people have started complaining of eye pain and other problems. Sharing their condition on social media, people in the UK said that they are experiencing pain, headaches, and blurred vision.
A user wrote, "I stared at it. My eyes are killing me. It's a feeling I've not felt before, and I think I'm going to go blind," as another added, " They weren't lying I looked directly at the eclipse, and now there's a big reddish hue in my centre vision."
Eclipse glasses flew off the shelves as Europeans and Britons prepared to watch the celestial event that was occurring in the region after decades. But those who could not lay their hands on them either ditched the idea of watching the eclipse altogether or watched it anyway. Now, it has triggered a sea of problems. Doctors are warning that the condition could be permanent.
One user said they are experiencing "headaches and blurred vision" after taking a sneak peek at the eclipse. Medical practitioners have advised people not to look at the Sun directly as that could damage the retina, particularly the macula, which is responsible for sharp central vision. Every time there is an eclipse, such advisories are widely issued. However, some people who do not pay heed start experiencing problems.
Why does an eclipse damage eyes?
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The condition is known as solar retinopathy (or photic retinopathy). Under normal circumstances, we cannot look at the Sun directly. The cornea and lens concentrate intense solar radiation onto a microscopic spot on the retina called the fovea, which is responsible for your sharp central vision. During an eclipse, even though it feels like you can look at the Sun directly because it is darkening, only the ambient lighting dims significantly.
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Since it gets darker, your pupils dilate, that is, open wider, to let in more light. The exposed crescent of the Sun still emits the same dangerous level of radiation per unit area, and a lot of this concentrated radiation goes straight to the retina. The chemical reactions destroy the photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) and the retinal pigment epithelium. The delicate tissue is affected, destroying light-detecting cells.
Google searches 'eyes hurt' spike
Worried people took to Google to search for their condition, and there was a 5,000 per cent higher search for the term "eyes hurt" on Wednesday evening compared to the same time last year. Searches for "eye damage" also shot up 700 per cent week on week.
