This article will provide an overview of everything you need to know about solar retinopathy, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
Symptoms
Solar retinopathy can occur in both eyes or only one eye. Milder symptoms may include:
HeadacheEye sorenessSensitivity to lightWatery eyes
More serious symptoms of solar retinopathy include:
Changes in vision, such as blurry visionPartial or total loss of vision in one or both eyesVisualizing unnaturally colored objects, or seeing normally colorless objects in colorVisualizing normally straight lines as curvy linesPain in the eye
Causes
Solar retinopathy is usually caused by staring directly into the sun or watching a solar eclipse. The retina is very sensitive to light, and it becomes injured when exposed to excessively bright light.
Even a short amount of direct sun radiation can cause damage to the eye. The damage can also be cumulative (occurring over time), meaning if you continually look directly at the sun, the damage adds up. People who regularly sunbathe are at increased risk.
Children are especially at risk because their retinas do not have the same ultraviolet (UV) protection as adults.
There are other, less common, causes including:
WeldingLaser pointersOphthalmic microscopesLight meters
People suffering from mental health disorders or drug intoxication may be unaware that they are damaging their retinas by looking at the sun.
Diagnosis
To be diagnosed with solar retinopathy, an ophthalmologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions of the eye) will have to examine your eyes. They will use optical coherence tomography (OCT), a type of eye imaging, to diagnose issues of the retina.
Treatment
Treatment for solar retinopathy usually means waiting for your symptoms to resolve over time. Your vision loss or disturbance can remain for several months, but in most cases, solar retinopathy resolves without treatment.
Your ophthalmologist will likely schedule follow-up appointments with you to monitor your recovery progress.
Prognosis
The prognosis for solar retinopathy is generally positive, as it typically resolves on its own. However, recovery can take several weeks to over a year, depending on the level of retinal damage.
In some cases, people never fully recover their vision, although this outcome is rare. The most common approach is to wait it out and see how retinal damage affects your vision over time.
A Word From Verywell
In most cases, solar retinopathy is a preventable eye injury. Avoid looking directly into the sun, wear glasses with UV protection when outdoors, and do not look directly at a solar eclipse. People have experienced retinal injuries after looking directly into bright light for just a few seconds.
If you do experience any unusual changes to your vision, contact an eye doctor for an exam. Fortunately, most cases of solar retinopathy resolve in time and do not cause long-term damage.
