Why do my eyes hurt?

Of course, you should never look directly at the solar eclipse, even with sunglasses, as they can damage your eyesight. The damage it can cause to our eyesight can be the same as looking at the sun without an eclipse. This partly explains why our eyes hurt , but the damage can be greater, since it can burn our retina, a risk known as solar retinopathy .

Other symptoms may include seeing a dark spot in the center of one or both eyes, changes in the colors we perceive, and general blurred vision.

We must also keep in mind that focusing our gaze on a distant point can tire our eyes, especially if the pupils dilate due to darkness. The effect can be similar to staring at a computer screen for a long time with the light off. This eye strain can sometimes cause a headache , which could persist for a few hours. Looking at the sky in a different way than we are used to can also cause the effects of light sensitivity . Eye pain is a warning from our system, alerting us that something is not right, and that we must act to remedy it.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OBSERVING AN ECLIPSE SAFELY:

To view a solar eclipse safely , it is essential to follow some important precautions and use certified solar eclipse glasses .

Recommendations:

1. Certified Solar Eclipse Glasses : Never look directly at the Sun without proper protection. Purchase solar eclipse glasses certified by recognized organizations, which filter at least 99.99% of the intense and harmful sunlight .

2. Avoid homemade methods : Do not use improvised methods, such as normal sunglasses, x-rays, CDs or negative films. These do not provide the necessary protection and could cause serious eye damage .

3. Solar filters for telescopes and binoculars : If you decide to use telescopes or binoculars to observe the eclipse, make sure they are equipped with special solar filters . Never look through these devices without proper filters, as they increase the intensity of sunlight and can cause serious eye injury.

4. Take care of the children : If children are going to observe the eclipse, supervise them at all times and make sure they also use certified solar eclipse glasses. Explain to them the importance of not looking directly at the Sun without protection.

5. Indirect projection : A safe and simple way to observe the eclipse is through the indirect projection of the Sun. You can do this by using a shoe box or a hole in a piece of cardboard, projecting the image of the Sun onto a clean, smooth surface, such as a piece of white paper.

6. Events organized by astronomers : Many astronomical institutions organize public events to observe the solar eclipse safely. Join one of these events, where experts will provide solar eclipse glasses and telescopes with appropriate filters.

Original source: Check that the glasses have the ISO 12312-2 safety label .

Treatment and pharmaceutical advice

To help alleviate symptoms, pain relievers, artificial tears, and wipes to clean the eyelids may be recommended. Artificial tears help alleviate the symptoms of irritation, moisturize and soothe. It is important to rinse and clean your eyes before applying artificial tears.

Hygiene is of utmost importance, such as:

• Change pillowcases every day.
• Use a clean towel every day.
• Wash your hands, especially if you have touched your eyes.
• Do not share towels, pillowcases or anything that has come into contact with affected eyes.
• Do not use contact lenses.
• Throw away used tissues.
• Stop wearing eye makeup.

As a pharmacist I only give you advice to treat dry eye due to exposure to sunlight due to observing the solar eclipse, but they are also tips that are useful for the treatment of dry eye due to any other reason. You should always be careful with your eyes. By that I mean that I can only recommend treating mild dry eyes with artificial tears, but in moderate or severe cases you should go to the doctor or ophthalmologist.