If you accidentally looked at the solar eclipse and are now worried about your eyes, experts recommend taking immediate action. Looking directly at an eclipse can cause permanent retinal damage, so it's important to take any new symptoms seriously.
Stop looking and test your eyes
First, if you are still looking at the eclipse after feeling side-effects, stop immediately, even if feelings of blurriness and dizziness begin to subside. Often, when people are worried about their eyes being hurt, they 'test' their vision by re-looking at the source of the damage, which is far from ideal.
Dr Nita Bowden, who specialises in eye health at the University of Texas and wrote a guide for how to watch an eclipse safely, says you should "immediately shift your gaze to a safe viewing area" and notes that "damage from the solar eclipse could happen to the retina in seconds".
Once you are safely away from the sun, check the vision in each eye by covering them one at a time, before looking at some text or images of straight lines. Dr Bowden says: "Evaluate each eye separately by closing one and then the other, ensuring both maintain clear and normal vision. Examine your visual field for any black spots by looking at a white background."
Watch for symptoms and seek help
If symptoms last longer than a couple of hours, or become painful or worrying in any way, further medical assistance may be required. Dr Alex Ionides from NHS's Moorfields Eye Hospital says that "symptoms can include blurred vision, distorted vision, reduced colour perception, difficulty reading, or a dark spot in the centre of vision", adding that "in some cases, the effects improve over time, but permanent vision loss can occur in some cases."
Retina damage can be entirely painless and does not always show up immediately. According to Moorfields Eye Hospital: "Solar retinopathy can develop after only a short period of exposure. The damage may not be painful, so people often do not realise there is a problem until hours later." So while the first few minutes are maybe the most important, if you notice any new symptoms in the 12 to 24 hour period after viewing the eclipse, it may be worth seeking assistance.
Contact an optometrist, ophthalmologist, GP or NHS 111 if you notice any change. Go to A&E or seek emergency help for sudden or serious sight loss. Moorfields Eye Hospital say: "If someone has looked at the sun and subsequently develops any of the following symptoms, they should seek urgent medical attention if: Eye pain, Redness, Grittiness or irritation, Blurred vision, Distorted vision, New dark spots in your vision, Sudden changes in sight. Prompt assessment can help identify the cause of your symptoms and ensure appropriate treatment or monitoring."
