On Thursday, around noon, the phenomenon of a solar eclipse will begin. Many of us will stop for a while to observe this event. However, we must remember about the safety rules. – All home remedies, in the form of smoked glass or even the best sunglasses, do not provide full protection and observing through such incomplete protective measures may damage eyesight – warns prof. Jakub Kałużny, ophthalmologist.
- On Thursday in Poland we will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse
- To be able to safely observe this phenomenon, it is worth taking care of the safety of our eyes
- Our eyesight can be protected by glasses intended for the welder or special filters – says the ophthalmologist prof. Jakub Kałużny from the Department of Public Health Collegium Medicum UMK in Bydgoszcz and the OFTALMIKA Ophthalmology Clinic
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Adrian Dąbek, Medonet: How to watch the solar eclipse is safe for our eyesight?
Prof. Jakub Kałużny: We can only protect ourselves from such a high energy of the Sun with the use of special glasses intended for the welder. The second way is to use special filters that resemble aluminum foil. These filters are approved and can be safely observed with glasses containing a solar eclipse. On the other hand, all home remedies, such as smoked glass or even the best sunglasses, do not provide full protection and observing through such incomplete protective measures can damage your eyesight.
- We will see the solar eclipse today. Unusual phenomenon in the sky
So we won’t find anything at home to help me watch it?
Unfortunately not. Nothing at home protects effectively. Another, more indirect than direct, way is to punch a hole in a piece of paper and project sunlight onto a screen. I will not propose anything else that is simple, because it does not provide adequate protection.
What about exposure of the eyes to direct sunlight?
It’s like taking a converging lens and trying to focus sunlight on a clear bright day on a piece of paper. The light energy is so great that it can cause a slight inflammation in this focus. The energy is concentrated very strongly on a small area.
The optical system of the eye works in a similar way. We have a focusing lens that focuses sunlight on a small area of the retina, and that can cause serious damage. We call it solar retinopathy, which is damage to the photoreceptors as well as other retinal cells due to overexposure to the sun.
- Can Watching a Solar Eclipse Damage Your Eyes? [WE EXPLAIN]
Are these changes reversible?
Mostly yes. But of course it all depends on how intense the exposure is. Most often it is relatively small, so the damage is small. Within a few weeks or months, or after all, after six months, the retina regenerates and the problems pass. The patient, his vision returns to full efficiency. But there are cases where the damage is large, when vision immediately after such exposure drops very much. Then the regeneration is only partial and there is a permanent loss of vision. So it could end very seriously. The result may be reduced visual acuity, the appearance of scotoma, i.e. a dark point in the field of view that will accompany us for the rest of our lives. This scotoma may be located in the very center of the painting. In addition, color vision disorders or metamorphopsies, i.e. image distortions, may also appear. In most patients, these symptoms diminish over time, but in some patients they remain for the rest of their lives.
I would like to ask you how to generally protect your eyesight in the summer season when the sun is shining stronger?
Sun exposure is not always good for your eyesight. The sun, for example, plays a role in certain diseases, such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, where the small proportion of ultraviolet radiation that enters the eye, as well as visible radiation, can cause damage. In such cases, it is a good idea to protect yourself from the sun. First of all, this applies to people who stay in the sun for a long time.
- Damage to the eye (sight) after viewing a solar eclipse
Sunglasses are the best way to protect yourself, but you need to remember that they are of good quality. They should be labeled with the category of the filter they contain. Glasses with a filter of the second and third category provide good protection. It’s worth checking it out. It is always worth protecting your eyesight where there is a lot of exposure to the sun – on the beach, in the mountains, when we work in the sun for a long time. You can also wear a cap with a visor. Anything that protects the face also protects the eyes. The most important thing is not to stare intensely at the sunlight.
There are also contact lenses that contain an ultraviolet light filter. The eyes are protected in some way, but these lenses do not protect against blue light, which also has damaging properties. Therefore, in this case, sunglasses are additionally needed.
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