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1 of 2 | Beachgoers watch nan full star eclipse connected nan formation successful Isle of Palms, S.C., successful August 2017, taking precautions to forestall oculus damage. File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
NEW YORK, April 2 (UPI) -- Nearly one-third of Americans don't cognize viewing a star eclipse without nan correct oculus protection tin origin imperishable damage, according to a caller study released Tuesday.
The study of 1,006 people, conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, asked Americans astir their knowledge of wellness risks that could look from Monday's celestial phenomenon.
"The full star eclipse is simply a highly anticipated event, and while location is simply a batch of excitement, historically location has besides been misunderstanding astir imaginable wellness risks," Dr. Nicole McAllister, an attending expert of emergency medicine and EMS astatine Ohio State, told UPI.
In conducting nan survey, "We wanted to make consciousness successful bid to promote group to return nan due precautions to protect themselves," McAllister said.
While viewing an eclipse, due oculus protection is paramount, doctors say.
They urge wearing specialized eclipse glasses that comply pinch nan ISO 12312-2 world standard. These glasses tin beryllium purchased online, astatine section stores, successful subject museums aliases done nan Prevent Blindness defense organization.
The star select successful these glasses neutralizes nan sunlight, truthful it's not arsenic aggravated connected nan eyes, Dr. Rajeev Ramchandran, an subordinate professor of ophthalmology astatine nan University of Rochester Medical Center's Flaum Eye Institute successful Rochester, N.Y., told UPI.
"It's really important that you put these glasses connected earlier you look astatine nan sun, aliases you don't look astatine nan sun astatine all," Ramchandran said, adding that his session is giving them distant to thief beforehand imagination safety.
"Survey respondents thought that wearing sunglasses and concisely looking astatine nan sun were safe for nan eyes. However, moreover a fewer seconds of looking astatine nan sun without due oculus protection tin lead to imperishable blindness without immoderate informing signs aliases symptoms, including pain," he said, cautioning that group besides should debar peeking astatine nan sun done their fingers aliases model blinds.
When nan satellite partially blocks nan sun, location is still a sliver of nan sun left. "Those rays tin person precocious energy, and they tin harm nan retina permanently," causing a information called star retinopathy," Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, an ophthalmologist and retina master astatine New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai successful New York City, said.
"If that occurs, it's very difficult for group to usage that portion of nan retina to see," Deobhakta added, noting that a connection successful a peculiar condemnation whitethorn look invisible erstwhile personification is trying to read. "There would beryllium a discontinuity successful their ocular field, almost arsenic if nan eclipse burned a crescent successful nan retina."
The imagination nonaccomplishment whitethorn beryllium impermanent aliases permanent. During past eclipses, group came to nan emergency room pinch blurry imagination aliases different eye-related issues, McAllister said. In immoderate cases, their eyes knowledgeable "the balanced of a sunburn."
For adults readying to position nan eclipse pinch children, she recommends discussing due oculus information and encouraging them to believe wearing their specialized glasses successful advance, truthful they're prepared.
But it's still important for parents to watch children cautiously during nan eclipse to guarantee that they support nan glasses connected astatine each times, said Dr. Jill Beyer, an optometrist and a objective adjunct professor of ophthalmology astatine Stanford University School of Medicine successful Stanford, Calif.
"More UV radiation tin scope nan retinas of children, but each ages request to debar looking straight astatine nan sun," Beyer said. "Even viewing nan eclipse for a very short play of clip tin origin imperishable oculus damage. The harm tin hap successful little than a minute."
Few group are alert of nan existent danger. But much than 10% of Americans polled successful nan Ohio State study mistakenly judge an eclipse tin origin earthy disasters, slumber problems and intelligence wellness issues.
Many superstitions astir full star eclipses stem from ancient history. Little had been understood astir this earthy phenomenon, starring to different beliefs and explanations for really and why they occur, McAllister said.
"Today, we person a clear technological knowing of full star eclipses. Yet, immoderate of nan misconceptions persist because eclipses don't hap often and superstitions person been passed down from procreation to generation," she said.
During nan star eclipse successful August 2017, then-President Donald Trump, first woman Melania Trump and their son, Barron, stepped retired onto nan White House pavilion and looked up astatine nan sun. Trump squinted and pointed toward nan entity earlier donning protective peepers.
"Eclipse misconceptions are wide held and tin beryllium dangerous," perchance starring to terrible harm of nan retina, Dr. Raj Maturi, objective spokesperson for nan American Academy of Ophthalmology, said.
"On a normal day, erstwhile we look astatine nan sun, nan brightness hurts our eyes and makes america look away," said Maturi, an ophthalmologist astatine Midwest Eye Institute successful Indianapolis.
"When nan sun is partially occluded by an eclipse, we're capable to look astatine nan sun for a overmuch longer clip and this is erstwhile nan problem happens," he said. "It's thing truthful interesting, truthful perfectly we look astatine it overmuch longer."
About 32 cardinal Americans unrecorded successful areas on that path of totality, according to NASA.
"There's truthful overmuch fascination pinch nan upcoming full star eclipse because it is specified a rare, earthy phenomenon," McAllister said. "For galore people, this whitethorn beryllium nan first and only clip they will get to acquisition an arena for illustration this successful their lifetime."
