August 14, 2026 | 10:01 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Following the recent solar eclipse, medical experts are urging the public to stay alert for signs of eye damage caused by staring directly at the sun without certified protection.
According to Dr. Laura Sararols, head of the Retina Unit at Granollers General Hospital and head of service at OMIQ at the Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya, Barcelona, staring at an eclipse can cause temporary dry eyes, grittiness, or a stinging sensation due to reduced blinking.
"This is of no consequence whatsoever," Sararols told Euronews, reassuring that surface irritation usually clears within a few hours and can be treated with lubricating eye drops.
What are the symptoms of eye damage from a solar eclipse?
A far more critical condition is solar retinopathy, an injury to the retina and macula caused by direct solar radiation. Alexander Ionides, a consultant eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, explained that because the retina lacks pain receptors, solar retinopathy causes no physical pain as the damage occurs.
"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," Ionides told the BBC.
Central Blind Spots: A grey, dark, or yellow spot appearing directly in the center of your field of vision.
Blurred or Dim Vision: Difficulty reading, recognizing faces, or seeing fine details.
Visual Distortion (Metamorphopsia): Straight lines appearing wavy, curved, or bent.
Altered Color Perception: Colors looking faded, dull, or noticeably different.
Increased Light Sensitivity (Photophobia): Discomfort or pain when exposed to bright lights.
Sararols warned that symptoms do not always appear immediately and may take up to 48 hours to manifest. "Sometimes it is not in the hours that follow, but it can be the next day or two days later," she told Euronews. She urged parents to monitor children closely, noting that young people may hesitate to admit they looked directly at the sun.
Looking at the sun for just a few seconds without certified eclipse glasses is enough to cause permanent phototoxic lesions on the fovea. Sararols pointed out that the most hazardous moment often occurs immediately before and after totality, when observers remove their protective eyewear during complete coverage and fail to put it back on as sunlight suddenly reappears.
Regarding mobile phone use, Sararols clarified that recording an eclipse on a phone camera poses no risk if the user only looks at the device screen. However, using optical viewfinders, binoculars, or telescopes without specialized solar filters dramatically concentrates radiation, vastly increasing the risk of severe eye damage.
What to do if symptoms appear?
For those experiencing a persistent central blind spot or blurred vision following an eclipse, immediate medical evaluation by an optometrist or ophthalmologist is crucial to assess and document the damage. However, Sararols noted that no proven medical treatment currently exists to reverse solar retinopathy once damage occurs.
"Corticosteroids are often prescribed, but they have not been shown to be effective. In reality, there is no treatment that works to solve it," Sararols said.
Despite the lack of a direct cure, seeing a doctor remains essential so clinicians can document the injury and track visual recovery over time. While some patients experience partial spontaneous recovery as certain photoreceptors heal, others may retain permanent visual deficits in their central field of view.
Read: No Eclipse Glasses? 3 Safe Ways to Watch the Solar Eclipse
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