Immediately after Monday’s solar eclipse, the number of people searching for eye-related injuries on Google spiked, and one New York City doctor said he was treating a surge in patients complaining of eye pain.
“I’ve had patients panicking and saying, ‘I don’t want to go blind,'” Dr. Janet Neshewat, a double board certified physician based in New York City, told Fox News Digital. “I couldn’t believe it. People were actually watching the eclipse without any protection.”
Doctors and eye specialists had been warning people for days not to look directly at the sun, but it appears some people were not heeding their advice.
Viewing the sun without protective gear, such as eclipse glasses, can negatively affect your vision and cause serious and permanent damage. Neshewat said the sun’s rays can burn the retina and damage the macula, the part of the retina at the back of the eye that controls vision.
After the moon and sun aligned on Monday, Google searches for “my eyes hurt” and “why do my eyes hurt after a solar eclipse” increased.
As for national numbers, a CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the National Center for Health Statistics does not have data on eye damage after a solar eclipse.
But Neshewat said he has treated up to eight patients who came to the City Medical Center, where he works near Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, and one patient spent about 10 minutes in person or He was reportedly looking at the sun through his cell phone.
“If the retina is severely damaged by direct viewing without proper eye protection, the damage may be irreversible. If the sun exposure is brief, some people may experience mild symptoms. There may be some.”
Viewing the sun without protective gear, such as eclipse glasses, can negatively affect your vision and cause serious and permanent damage. Neshewat said the sun’s rays can burn the retina and damage the macula, the part of the retina at the back of the eye that controls central vision.
After the moon and sun aligned on Monday, Google searches for “my eyes hurt” and “why do my eyes hurt after a solar eclipse” increased.
As for national numbers, a CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the National Center for Health Statistics does not have data on eye damage after a solar eclipse.
But Neshewat said he has treated up to eight patients who came to the City Medical Center, where he works near Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, and one patient spent about 10 minutes in person or He was reportedly looking at the sun through his cell phone.
“If the retina is severely damaged by direct viewing without proper eye protection, the damage may be irreversible. If the sun exposure is brief, some people may experience mild symptoms. There may be some.”
While most people took precautions when viewing the eclipse, some may have been using recalled eclipse glasses.
The Illinois Department of Public Health issued a last-minute recall notice Monday for eclipse glasses that may not meet safety standards.
The agency asked customers to double check whether they had purchased glasses labeled with “EN ISO 12312-1:2022” and warned them not to use them to view the solar eclipse.
The glasses in question were reportedly sold through Amazon as “Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved 2024 – CE & ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Packs).” The glass is available at Farm Fresh Market in Breeze, Highland True Buy in Highland, Perry County Marketplace in Pinckneyville, Sinclair Foods in Jerseyville, Steelville Marketplace in Steelville, and Metropolis. It was also reportedly available at several retailers in southern Illinois, including Big John’s Grocery.
