The UK is set to witness its most significant solar eclipse in almost 27 years on 12th August, prompting eye experts to warn that even a few seconds of looking directly at the sun without proper protection could cause permanent damage to eyesight.
Millions of Brits are hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare event, with around 90% of the sun expected to be obscured by the moon across much of the UK during the early evening. As excitement builds, experts are warning the public that viewing the eclipse without the correct protection, even for a few seconds, can lead to eye injuries and, in the most serious cases, permanent vision loss.
Dr Stephen Hannan, Clinical Services Director at Optical Express, said: “Solar eclipses are incredibly rare, which is exactly why so many of us want to watch one as it happens. But that excitement can make it easy to forget just how much damage a few seconds of direct sunlight can do.
“Staring at a partial eclipse, even briefly, can cause permanent damage to your eyesight, often without you realising it’s happening until it’s already too late. One consequence of viewing the solar eclipse with unprotected eyes is developing photokeratitis. This is essentially a sunburn on the surface of the eye, caused by UV exposure to the cornea.”
“Much like sunburn on the skin, the symptoms often aren’t felt until the damage has already been done. Symptoms like sore, red or watery eyes, sensitivity to light and blurred vision tend to appear within a few hours of exposure. The good news is that it tends to clear up on its own within a few days.
“The second, and far more serious, condition is solar retinopathy. This occurs when intense light burns the retina, which is the layer at the back of the eye responsible for detecting light and sending visual signals to the brain.
“As the retina has no pain receptors, this damage is painless, so people often have no idea anything is wrong until symptoms like blurred or distorted vision, blind spots or headaches appear. Unlike photokeratitis, solar retinopathy can cause permanent, irreversible vision loss.
“The good news is that both conditions are entirely preventable, as long as you take the right precautions.”
Ahead of the solar eclipse, Dr Hannan has shared four practical tips to help people enjoy the event safely:
1. Invest in eclipse glasses
“Regular sunglasses offer nowhere near enough protection to view the eclipse safely, no matter how dark they seem. Solar viewing glasses are thousands of times darker and specifically designed to filter out the harmful rays that cause eye damage.
“When purchasing, make sure your glasses meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard, which ensures they have the correct filtration needed to protect your eyes. Never use a pair that have been scratched or damaged, as this can let harmful light through.”
2. Don’t look at the eclipse through a camera, telescope or binoculars unless they have a solar filter
“Eclipse glasses alone aren’t enough when using magnifying optical equipment. Looking at the sun through an unfiltered camera lens, telescope or binoculars, even while wearing eclipse glasses over your eyes, can cause the concentrated solar rays to burn straight through the filter and lead to serious damage.
“Eclipse glasses alone aren’t enough when using magnifying optical equipment. Looking at the sun through an unfiltered camera lens, telescope or binoculars, even while wearing eclipse glasses over your eyes, can cause the concentrated solar rays to burn straight through the filter and lead to serious damage.
“If you want to use this kind of equipment, make sure you purchase a specialist solar filter to fit securely over the front of the optical device.”
3. Try an indirect viewing method
“You don’t need eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer to join in the fun: a pinhole projector is an easy and safe alternative that you can make at home in minutes.
“You don’t need eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer to join in the fun: a pinhole projector is an easy and safe alternative that you can make at home in minutes.
“With your back to the sun, the device projects an image of the eclipse onto a nearby surface, allowing you to watch its progress without looking anywhere near the sun itself.”
4. Keep protection on for the entire time you’re looking at the sun
“It’s not just the peak of a solar eclipse that carries risk, as the sun remains dangerous to look at throughout the whole event.
“It’s not just the peak of a solar eclipse that carries risk, as the sun remains dangerous to look at throughout the whole event.
“Never remove eclipse glasses while facing the sun, even for a moment, and only take them off once you’ve looked away completely. It only takes a few seconds of direct, unprotected viewing to damage your vision.”
Dr Hannan added: “It goes without saying that you should view the solar eclipse at your own risk. If you notice any changes to your vision after watching the eclipse, such as blurring, discomfort or dark spots, it’s important to get your eyes checked by an optometrist as soon as possible.
“At Optical Express, we use advanced diagnostic imaging, including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) which allows our optometrists to map the layers of the retina in detail and pick up on any disruption in the cellular layers caused by solar damage, helping us diagnose and manage any issues as early as possible.”
For more information or to arrange an eye examination, visit www.opticalexpress.com.
