Saw the eclipse without proper glasses? How to tell if you have eye damage

Looking at the the sun directly during a solar eclipse or without certified glasses could potentially lead to eye damage that can be untreatable and irreversible, experts warn.

Crowds of people across Canada flocked to catch a glimpse of the total solar eclipse on Monday in a highly anticipated celestial event — one that could concern some who didn’t take precautions concerned about their eye health.

Looking at the sun directly during a solar eclipse or even otherwise without internationally certified glasses could potentially lead to eye damage that can be untreatable and at times, irreversible, experts warn.

Mark Eltis, a Toronto-based optometrist and president of the College of Optometrists of Ontario, told Global News on Tuesday that he’s already received some eclipse-related inquiries from patients.

“There’s been a couple of people who’ve called in saying that they looked at the eclipse and now they’re concerned,” he said.

“I imagine there’s probably going to be more; it’s just a matter of timing,” he added.

After the 2017 total solar eclipse crossed North America, there were approximately 100 patients across the United States and Canada with “eclipse-related retinopathy,” according to a report by the American Astronomical Society, citing survey data.

Phil Hooper, an ophthalmologist in London, Ont., and president of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, is hopeful that eclipse watchers took the necessary precautions to not put their vision in jeopardy.

“If we look at the experience worldwide in other eclipses, typically it’s not a major problem,” Hooper said in an interview with Global News Tuesday.