Why Solar Eclipses Cause Retinopathy?

Why Solar Eclipses Cause Eyesight Loss(Retinopathy)

Eclipses are interesting and rare events. Large numbers of people go against the advice of eye specialists and stare directly at the sun to see the cosmic phenomenon more clearly. Despite the darkness, the sun remains particularly dangerous for vision during an eclipse. The greatest danger of staring directly at the sun during eclipse is retinopathy. 

Retinopathy

When solar radiation damages the retina of the eye and create dark spots on it, the phenomenon is called retinopathy.

The effects of retinopathy appear after 4 to 6 hours, but in some cases they may take up to 12 hours.

There is no cure for solar retinopathy, but you should always see a eye specialists for vision problems. Many people will recover from retinopathy in three to six months, permanent damage in the form of visual blindness is also possible.

How Retinopathy Occurs?

Most solar eclipses are partial solar eclipses. As the name represents, a partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon does not completely cover the sun. It is not safe to watch such eclipse directly without eye protection instrument at any place.

During a solar eclipse when the moon fully covers the sun, the outermost surface of the sun emits electromagnetic radiation, which can result in retinal damage.

There is emission of dangerous solar radiations during partial eclipse, so we should not look at the sun directly. Our eye uses the lens and  the retina to see. Lens can focus harmful radiations of the sun resulting in damaging the structure of the eye. Even if it is partially covered, sunlight still can hurt our eyesight.

There is a period during the total eclipse, where it is safe to watch without protection instruments. This is because during total eclipse moon can stop sun rays completely for a period of about one to two minutes. However, if you plan to see such a eclipse directly, it is better to use protection.

If you intend to take a risk, do a complete research of the time. Solar eclipses are still dangerous to watch most of the time.

Common Misconceptions

Some common misconceptions about eclipses include:

• Dark sunglasses, homemade filters and cheap eclipse glasses are good for eclipse viewing. Use of any glasses that do not follow ISO 12312-2 international standards (a safety standard aimed at products designed to see the sun) can cause retinopathy. Use specialized glasses only from certified sources to observe eclipses.
• Solar eclipse glasses can be easily reused. To protect you from a solar eclipse, scratches, cracks or tears in the glass can make the product useless. Any product that is slightly damaged should not be reused to protect you from the sun.
• A solar eclipse does not last long enough to cause permanent damage to your eyes. This is simply not true. Even short-term exposure to the sun causes a risk of permanent damage, and solar eclipses last for minutes, which is enough time for sun to cause serious damage.

Prevention from solar eclipse damage

• To prevent damage from an eclipse, use appropriate protection. Even if you are going to watch a total solar eclipse, it is better to use eye protection instead of accidentally exposing yourself to dangerous rays by watching a solar eclipse at the wrong time. ۔
• Make sure your eyes are properly protected and from a certified source. Cheap products can also claim to follow ISO 12312-2 but actually they do not.
• Although solar eclipse glasses are not necessarily useless, they should be thoroughly inspected before reuse. If the product is more than three years old, it should not be used.
• To protect young children and anyone who is not familiar with safe methods, be sure to explain how to use safety glasses correctly and make sure the rules are followed. Glasses should be worn at all times while facing sun, and all instructions provided by the manufacturers should be followed.