What happens if you look directly at the eclipse without protection

Don’t look directly at the sun during the eclipse. If you do, it can cause irreparable damage to your eyes, according to experts like Michele Riggins.

Riggins, a neuro-ophthalmologist with Grene Vision Group in Wichita, said she hopes people will realize just how seriously they can damage their eyes by looking at the sun. Over the next few months, eye doctors will likely ask patients if they looked at the eclipse, she said.

Here’s what can happen if you look at the sun without a solar protected lens:

▪ The lens inside the eye magnifies the sun’s rays. “Much like some kids will take a magnifier and concentrate the light to burn the asphalt or ants, the same thing happens with the inside of the eye through that lens,” Riggins said.

▪ Cells in the retina, the light-sensitive part of the eye, can be damaged.

▪ With enough exposure, the macula – an area in the center of the retina responsible for focusing central vision – can be damaged. Macular degeneration can be caused, even resulting in permanent blindness.

▪ The retina doesn’t have any pain receptors, meaning pain won’t warn people that damage is occurring.

▪ Since the sun will be darkened by the eclipse, the instinct to look away may not be triggered by the sun as on a normal, bright day.

▪ Looking at the sun through a camera, binoculars or telescope further magnifies the effect of sunlight on the retina, making damage worse.

Experts say the only safe time to look directly at the eclipse is in the path of totality when the moon completely covers the sun. In Wichita, however, the sun will be about 93 percent covered at the height of the eclipse – meaning it will never be safe for viewers in the area to look at the eclipse without solar eclipse glasses.

Patrick Pirotte, optometrist at Child and Family Eyecare, said he has only once worked with a patient who had solar retinopathy (injury to retinal tissues caused by staring at the sun). The man, who formerly had normal vision, had stared at the sun while on drugs – and became legally blind.

Most people know better, Pirotte said, although he does worry about children under 12 who may not understand the severity of looking at the sun.

“The problem that you have is if people give in to the temptation to look over the top of the glasses, if they blow off in the wind or get loose, you have an issue with that,” Pirotte said.

Neither Pirotte nor Riggins had plans to watch the eclipse with glasses. Riggins planned to watch on television, while Pirotte planned to use a pinhole camera.

“The nerd in me (says) this is such an exciting event, but if it’s not viewed properly it can have detrimental consequences,” Riggins said. “I didn’t want to take any chances. If there’s any damage that is done – which hopefully most people aren’t going to have any issues – the damage is permanent and there’s no treatment.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 1:33 PM with the headline "What happens if you look directly at the eclipse without protection."