An eye surgeon has said that far fewer people have sought treatment for eclipse-related eye damage this time compared with the aftermath of the UK's last total solar eclipse in 1999. The comments follow Wednesday's eclipse, which was witnessed by millions across the UK and saw more than 90% of the Sun obscured by the Moon, making it the most significant such event in 27 years.
Mr Alexander Ionides, an eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, told a national broadcaster that hospitals were overwhelmed with anxious patients following the 1999 eclipse, but that the response this time suggests public safety messaging may finally be working.
Maybe the message is getting through
He explained that symptoms of eye damage can include a spot in the centre of vision that may appear grey or yellow, and that these effects can emerge within hours, though in some cases take several days to develop.
How does this compare with past eclipses?
A review of the 1999 UK eclipse found at least 14 confirmed cases of eye damage by 11 August that year, including six treated at Moorfields Eye Hospital, according to a peer-reviewed study. Internationally, the numbers have sometimes been far higher: an American Astronomical Society technical report estimated around 100 patients reported eclipse-related retinopathy across Canada and the United States after the 2017 eclipse, according to a US broadcaster's report. A separate case series in Utah found that of 27 patients who sought care for vision changes after the 2017 eclipse, six had exam findings consistent with solar retinopathy, per a clinical case series.
More recently, Quebec health authorities recorded 40 cases of eclipse-related eye damage after the April 2024 solar eclipse, according to a Canadian broadcaster's report, a notably higher figure than anything reported in the UK so far. A 2025 case report identified two confirmed instances of permanent retinal damage from that same eclipse, involving a 34-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman, per a university news report.
Can eclipse eye damage be treated?
According to ophthalmology reporting following the 2024 eclipse, some patients recovered over the following months, but solar retinopathy can be permanent and there is currently no treatment, as noted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. This mirrors earlier warnings from before this week's eclipse, when a man who was permanently blinded in part after the 1999 UK eclipse urged the public to use certified eye protection, as detailed in our earlier coverage of eclipse safety warnings.
Ahead of Wednesday's eclipse, opticians and retailers across the UK reported a shortage of certified eclipse glasses, a supply crunch that later spread to mainland Europe, as reported in our coverage of the eclipse glasses shortage. Meanwhile, enthusiasm for the event was widespread, with one cyclist riding three and a half hours to an observatory to witness the deepest UK eclipse since 1999, according to our report on eclipse-watchers' journeys.
What should people watch for now?
Doctors have advised anyone who viewed Wednesday's eclipse to be alert for blurred vision, a central dark spot, or unusual light sensitivity, symptoms outlined in our earlier guide to eclipse eye damage warning signs. Medical experts have consistently noted that even brief, unprotected viewing can cause lasting retinal injury, a pattern seen after the 2024 eclipse as well as previous events.
Key Facts
- More than 90% of the Sun was covered during Wednesday's eclipse, the most significant in the UK since 1999.
- Mr Alexander Ionides of Moorfields Eye Hospital said patient numbers this time appear lower than after the 1999 eclipse.
- At least 14 eye damage cases were confirmed in the UK after the 1999 eclipse, six of them at Moorfields.
- Quebec recorded 40 cases of eclipse-related eye damage after the 2024 eclipse, including two confirmed permanent injuries.
- Solar retinopathy has no known treatment, though some patients recover partially over months.
