Ohio health officials discuss solar eclipse eye safety
3 min read
In less than two weeks, many eyes across Ohio will be on the sky.All or part of 55 counties will be in the path of totality when the moon crosses the sun.As excitement continues to build for the upcoming solar eclipse, the Ohio Department of Health is urging everyone to make sure they have the proper eyewear to safely view the event.Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, ODH Director said people should not even glance up without proper eclipse glasses.”Even a quick change and a quick glimpse during that can cause immediate and permanent damage to your eyes,” Vanderhoff said. The damage could be similar to a sunburn on the skin, but instead, the sun can burn the retina. Unlike a sunburn that heals relatively quickly the retina in the back of an eye cannot heal.”So, you can actually lose vision permanently,” said Dr. Jeffrey Walline from the Ohio State University College of Optometry. Walline said the other significant difference is skin burns over a period of minutes to hours.”Whereas in the eye, it happens over a period of seconds to minutes,” Walline said. Counterfeit and outdated glasses are out there, so doctors recommend getting eclipse glasses from a reputable source and checking to make sure the safety certification is printed on them.”What you should look for is the ISO 12312-2,” Vanderhoff said. Experts said sunglasses are not safe eclipse-viewing eyewear nor are cameras, binoculars or telescopes. They also said people should not use glasses from a previous eclipse.”Another safe option for watching the eclipse that some of us might enjoy is by visiting NASA’s website. The agency plans to livestream the eclipse,” Vanderhoff said. More information on eye safety can be found here:
In less than two weeks, many eyes across Ohio will be on the sky.
All or part of 55 counties will be in the path of totality when the moon crosses the sun.
As excitement continues to build for the upcoming solar eclipse, the Ohio Department of Health is urging everyone to make sure they have the proper eyewear to safely view the event.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, ODH Director said people should not even glance up without proper eclipse glasses.
“Even a quick change and a quick glimpse during that can cause immediate and permanent damage to your eyes,” Vanderhoff said.
The damage could be similar to a sunburn on the skin, but instead, the sun can burn the retina. Unlike a sunburn that heals relatively quickly the retina in the back of an eye cannot heal.
“So, you can actually lose vision permanently,” said Dr. Jeffrey Walline from the Ohio State University College of Optometry.
Walline said the other significant difference is skin burns over a period of minutes to hours.
“Whereas in the eye, it happens over a period of seconds to minutes,” Walline said.
Counterfeit and outdated glasses are out there, so doctors recommend getting eclipse glasses from a reputable source and checking to make sure the safety certification is printed on them.
“What you should look for is the ISO 12312-2,” Vanderhoff said.
Experts said sunglasses are not safe eclipse-viewing eyewear nor are cameras, binoculars or telescopes. They also said people should not use glasses from a previous eclipse.
“Another safe option for watching the eclipse that some of us might enjoy is by visiting NASA’s website. The agency plans to livestream the eclipse,” Vanderhoff said.
More information on eye safety can be found here:
link
