A woman has been left with a permanent blind spot in her sight after staring directly at a solar eclipse.
On April 8, millions gathered all across North America to witness a once-in-a-generation celestial event: a total solar eclipse.
Spanning parts of the US, Mexico, and Canada, the path of totality crossed over approximately 44 million people, making it truly a sight to see.
People headed out in their numbers to watch the event gathering in massive venues and fields to make sure they could catch a glimpse of this rare phenomenon.
However, not everyone was as prepared as they should have been.
A view of a partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, in New York. Credit: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu/Getty
While a lot of folks understood that wearing eye protection is an important aspect when it came to witnessing something as powerful as this, some thought it would be good to take a risk and just stare directly at the sun – a grave mistake if I ever did hear one.
Something so simple can have such dire consequences, including the permanent loss of vision.
Experts have warned that looking directly at a solar eclipse can have dire consequences. Credit: Richard Lautens/Toronto Star/Getty
In the wake of the recent solar eclipse, one woman shared her experience after she made the mistake of forgetting her eye protection six years ago during another similar event.
Bridget Kyeremateng AKA @iambridget on TikTok took to the video sharing platform to recall the time she stared directly at the sun and moon just for a few seconds.
“It pains me that me and the orange man [Donald Trump] have something in common, and that is that yes, I did look at the solar eclipse six and a half years ago,” she said in the video, which has been viewed a whopping 5.5 million times.
“I closed my right eye, and I stared at the sun for a good, like, 15 seconds and didn’t think anything of it, not an issue,” Bridgette continued. “The very next day, I woke up, and I woke up on what I think is my right side, and I opened up my left eye to read on my phone, and I couldn’t read every other word.
“There was, like, a blind spot on every other word I was reading,” she added.
The TikToker started to get concerned and sought medical advice, but on the way to a facility, she realized that she couldn’t even see signs on the road.
“This all happened in the span of 10 seconds. Only 10 seconds, I stared at the sun,” Bridget said.
People look up at a solar eclipse is seen in the sky on April 8 in Canada. Credit: Cole Burston/Getty
In the comments, others also shared their own experiences.
“I looked at an eclipse without glasses as a kid over 30 years ago. The vision in my right eye has been altered ever since. Like I’m looking through a colander,” one user wrote while another added: “I’ve worn prescription glasses ever since I looked at it.”
Speaking to BuzzFeed, Bridget opened up about the lasting effects the mistake still has on her today.
“It took about 24 hours for the blind spot to settle in, and it’s been with me to this day. I wear prescribed sunglasses to help ease the strain and headache from my left eye,” she told the outlet.
So there we have it guys. If you’re ever thinking of staring directly at a solar eclipse, then don’t unless you want potentially life-altering eye issues.
If you’re concerned about any symptoms you may be experiencing including headaches, blurred vision, scotomas AKA dark spots, color changes in normal vision, and distorted lines, please seek medical help immediately.
