Internet searches for 'my eyes hurt' have rocketed in Britain and across the world after last night's dazzling eclipse, with some social media users claiming to have suffered vision problems.
Google search trends show that entries for 'my eyes hurt' from UK users were up 1,500% on Thursday evening compared to the day before. In Spain, where the sky briefly went black during a total eclipse, searches for 'me duelen los ojos' soared by 5,000%.
Social media reports of sore eyes
One Twitter user wrote in the aftermath: "Looked at it for literally a sec and now my eyes hurt". Another worried social media user penned: "Glad we're all feeling like this, i've got a minor headache and its enough to turn me to prayer".
Someone else said: "Guys I looked straight into the solar eclipse and I can physically feel the eye damage - my head hurts so bad and my vision's so blurry." One TikTok user said: "I stared at it. My eyes are killing me. It's a feeling I've not felt before and I think I'm going to go blind." Others complained of headaches and blurred vision.
Warning signs of eye damage
Alex Ionides, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the NHS Moorfields Eye Hospital and Moorfields Private, said you should seek urgent medical attention if you develop any of the following symptoms after looking directly at the sun: eye pain, redness, grittiness or irritation, blurred vision, distorted vision, new dark spots in your vision, or sudden changes in sight.
He explained: "One of the most common misconceptions is that a partial eclipse makes it safe to look at the sun. In reality, even during an eclipse, the sun remains bright enough to damage the delicate tissues of the eye. The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that allows us to see. When you look directly at the sun, the bright light and ultraviolet radiation can damage retinal cells. This condition is known as solar retinopathy."
"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. Symptoms can include blurred vision, distorted vision, reduced colour perception, difficulty reading, or a dark spot in the centre of vision. In some cases, the effects improve over time, but permanent vision loss can occur in some cases."
What if my eyes hurt even after using eclipse glasses?
Some people have reported feeling eye strain or headaches even after having used ISO 12312-2 certified glasses to observe the eclipse - though experts say this is completely normal, and does not mean you have retinal damage. This is a similar phenomenon to what people experience when they spend extended periods staring at a screen, and any residual pain should go away after a few hours.
