Eye specialists are urging people who watched Wednesday's solar eclipse to monitor themselves for signs of vision damage, after millions across western Europe used protective glasses to view the celestial event. Symptoms of eye injury from sun exposure can include blurred vision, a dark or blind spot in the centre of sight, and heightened sensitivity to light.
Doctors point to the aftermath of the UK's last total solar eclipse in 1999, when roughly 70 people ended up with damaged eyesight, many after looking at the sun for under a minute without realising the harm being done.
Why is staring at an eclipse dangerous?
The risk arises because unprotected viewing of an eclipse can injure the retina at the back of the eye, particularly the cells responsible for sharp central vision. Even when the moon partially blocks it, the sun remains extremely bright, and normally the body's instinct is to blink and turn away from such intensity.
During an eclipse, however, that protective reflex can fail because the surrounding sky is dimmer, meaning people may keep looking even as harm occurs. The combination of intense light and ultraviolet radiation can trigger a condition called solar retinopathy, and because the retina lacks pain receptors, sufferers often have no warning that damage is taking place until symptoms surface later.
According to Euronews, solar retinopathy symptoms can take hours or even a day or two to appear, and a single ophthalmology expert quoted in that reporting noted that just a few seconds of direct exposure to the sun can be enough to cause lasting harm. Eye specialists describe the condition as radiation injury to the retina, and particularly the macula, the part of the eye responsible for central vision, per the same report.
What symptoms should people watch for?
Alexander Ionides, a consultant eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, says that if the eyes have been damaged, symptoms typically emerge within a few hours of viewing.
"It's a central spot in the visual field, whatever you're looking at, if you're looking at someone's face, or the writing of the page or the clock on the wall, you may have a distortion."
"It'll be a grey or a yellow or a dark spot right in the very centre of your vision."
"It doesn't hurt, there's no pain like what a burn might be considered to be like, and it can just very gradually come on."
Beyond a central dark or grey spot, additional warning signs highlighted by Euronews include difficulty distinguishing colours and distorted or warped images. A 2024 medical article similarly notes that eclipse-related retinal damage can produce central scotomas, impaired colour vision and distortion of straight lines, according to a study archived at the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
What should someone do if they suspect damage?
Ionides advises anyone who suspects their eyes have been affected to seek medical attention without delay.
"There are different ways to get the eyes checked out in the UK, you can always go to a local optician, they're very well equipped now."
"They can do retinal scans to look for any solar retinopathy, which is the damage to the retina from looking at the eclipse."
"And also they can refer you on to the local eye unit. There are local eye casualties as well. And most hospitals will have an eye doctor on call."
Because symptoms of solar retinopathy can be delayed, it remains too early to determine whether anyone suffered lasting eye damage from Wednesday's event. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has noted that recovery, when it happens, generally unfolds over three to six months, though in some cases the vision loss is permanent, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
How does this compare with the 1999 eclipse?
Since Wednesday's event was only a partial eclipse, the sun remained relatively bright throughout, which likely deterred many people from staring directly at it compared with the 1999 total eclipse. Ionides said his hospital has so far received far fewer calls than after the 1999 event.
"Back in 1999, the switchboard and the casualty were inundated with many, many people coming along worried, or having had some damage."
"But so far, it's only the morning after, but at the moment there have been a lot fewer people contacting the hospital or coming along to casualty, which might mean that the message is getting out there, that it is damaging to look directly at the sun with the naked eye."
The 1999 eclipse remains a touchstone for eye-safety warnings: Peter Smith, who was permanently blinded in part after watching that eclipse without proper protection, had urged people ahead of Wednesday's event to rely on certified eye protection, warning that even partial viewing can cause irreversible harm. Meanwhile, a shortage of certified eclipse glasses affected shoppers across the UK and Europe in the run-up to Wednesday, with retailers, opticians and post offices reporting sell-outs from London and Scotland to Liverpool and beyond. Experts had also promoted safe household alternatives such as pinhole projectors, colanders and box viewers for those unable to find eclipse glasses.
What happens next?
Because solar retinopathy symptoms can be delayed, health authorities advise anyone who notices a black or grey spot in their central vision, blurred sight, or other persistent visual disturbance following eclipse viewing to arrange an urgent assessment with an ophthalmologist, per Euronews reporting. Health officials in the United States have similarly stressed that any lingering symptoms after eclipse exposure warrant prompt eye evaluation, since damage may not become apparent right away, according to NBC News.
Key Facts
- The 1999 UK total eclipse left about 70 people with eye damage, many after looking for under a minute.
- Solar retinopathy symptoms, including a central dark or grey spot, can take hours or up to a couple of days to appear.
- Warning signs also include blurred vision, light sensitivity, difficulty distinguishing colours and distorted images.
- Recovery from solar retinopathy can take three to six months, but some cases result in permanent vision loss.
- Moorfields Eye Hospital reported far fewer eclipse-related enquiries after Wednesday's partial eclipse than after the 1999 total eclipse.
