With the next solar eclipse occurring October 14, 2023 (visible in the United States primarily on the west coast, the south west, and Texas), many will be excited to view this rare celestial event. But this might also lead people to forget that exposing their eyes to the sun without proper eye protection can result in solar retinopathy.

Eye care professionals are in a unique position to educate patients about this risk, how to properly protect themselves while viewing the eclipse, and how to spread the word to their community, as we will discuss below.

Risks of viewing

NASA defines the upcoming eclipse as an “annular solar eclipse,” which means the sun is not fully blocked by the moon. Because of this, the sun’s rays are still visible and can damage the eyes, possibly permanently.¹

Susan A. Primo, OD, MPH, FAAO, of Emory Eye Center in Atlanta, says there will be plenty of patients who don’t realize an eclipse is coming — and many who don’t recognize the risk of looking at it.

“Children are especially at risk as they simply might not know better,” Dr. Primo says. “But any patient who already has retinal dysfunction, such as those with macular degeneration, might be even more prone to problems.”

A good patient script for discussing proper protection could go like this: “Did you know that we have a solar eclipse occurring Oct. 14? While it can be an exciting event, it’s important not to look directly at it without proper eye protection. The UVA and UVB rays from the sun can burn your retina and disrupt your eye’s tissue. While this damage can be repaired, it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. The damage might even be permanent. One of the safest ways to view the eclipse is to use ‘eclipse glasses’ that comply with the international safety standard of ISO 12312-2.”

Proper protection

Both NASA and Prevent Blindness have set up sites with educational material about eclipse viewing safety, which also offer links to online retailers that can provide glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard. Their sites are viewable at bit.ly/NASAeclipsesafety2023 and PreventBlindness.org/eclipse . (The American Optometric Association also has an eclipse safety site, at bit.ly/AOAeclipsesafety .)

Dr. Primo says, in addition to advising the use of such protection to patients, optometrists should consider selling such protective gear in their clinic. Dr. Primo advises, as well, that counterfeit eclipse glasses have been known to flood the market when eclipses approach, and that patients should be warned not to buy any that aren’t ISO 12312-2 approved.

Other viewing advice from NASA that optometrists can share with patients is not to look at the eclipse through a camera lens, binocular, or telescope, unless there is a special solar filter attached to it; viewing through these devices without a filter can cause eye injury. NASA provides a link to purchase such filters at its website mentioned above.

Prevent Blindness likewise advises against viewing the eclipse through a smartphone, as viewers not only risk seeing the eclipse while lining up the image but could also damage their phones.

Spreading the word

Dr. Primo says practitioners should use their various channels of communication with patients to educate about the eclipse, and how looking at it can affect their eyes. “Make posts on social media, hang signs in your office, and just talk to people,” she says.

“This is a chance to show our patients and our local community how much we care about their vision — and most importantly, preventing vision loss,” she continues. Getting the message out to as many people as possible is key, says Dr. Primo. Start talking to patients now, so that they’re prepared. “The more people that we get the message to, the better,” she says. OM

REFERENCES

1. Taylor J, Sousa DC. Solar Retinopathy. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(2):165. Doi: 10.1056/NEJMicm2215436.