“Why do my eyes hurt?” tops Google searches after total solar eclipse

As millions of people witnessed a total solar eclipse that briefly darkened skies across North America and Mexico on Monday, queries like “Why do my eyes hurt?”, “hurt eyes” and “my eyes hurt” were among the top searches on Google Significant surge. An estimated 31.6 million people witnessed the total eclipse of this rare celestial event.

A total solar eclipse will occur in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, as well as Visible along the Pacific coast of Mexico and Newfoundland, Canada.

People now have to wait at least 20 years for the next total solar eclipse in August 2044.

Meanwhile, searches on Google are escalating as some people believe either their protective glasses are fake or they simply forgot to wear them when looking up at the sky.

Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association, recommends that if someone feels unwell after the eclipse, that person should see a doctor immediately.

“For most people, it’s a change in color vision,” CNN To quote Benner.

“The next morning, the color doesn’t look right, or it might be washed out, or it’s a little blurry all the time. For other people, there might actually be holes in their vision.”

He also warned that if the damage occurs in the center of a person’s vision, it could affect the ability to recognize faces and even read.

According to optometrists, complaints of vision problems were also recorded during earlier eclipses.

A report from the American Astronomical Society said that during the 2017 total solar eclipse, about 100 people reported “eclipse-related retinopathy.”

Most affected patients include children and young adults.

Meanwhile, Florida ophthalmologist Daniel Lattin said there are two main types of damage that can occur if you look directly at the sun: burns to the outside of the eye and damage to the nerve tissue inside. nbc news the report said.

“There may be a little burn on the surface of the eye, or what we call solar keratitis,” he said.

“Your cornea may be burned, which can cause redness, watering, and things like that. This should resolve itself within a day or two without causing any permanent damage.”

NBC News quoted ophthalmology chief Luxme Hariharan as saying that if you experience symptoms such as “blind spots, wavy lines, floaters, or blurred vision” after the solar eclipse, you need to urgently consult an optometrist as this could be solar retinopathy. said a doctor at Children’s Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.

Solar retinopathy is when light damages the retina without causing immediate pain.

Although there is no treatment, patients can recover over time.