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Millions across North America today watched as a total solar eclipse crossed the continent. The exciting event was fun for many but, in the hours following, searches for “my eyes hurt” on Google quickly spiked.
Thanks to Google Trends, it’s pretty easy to see what people are searching for online. And, unsurprisingly, most of the trending topics today were about the eclipse. “Can you take a picture of the eclipse” was a top topic for the day, but another search also spiked in popularity.
“My eyes hurt” spiked in Google Search around 2:30-3pm ET in the United States, right as the solar eclipse passed over large portions of the country. By 4pm, when the eclipse passed for most of the US, searches for the topic quickly faded, but are still higher now than they have been anytime recently.
Similarly, there was another big spike in people searching about eye pain in August 2017, when a total solar eclipse last passed over the United States.
Also of note for today, searches for “my eyes hurt” specifically spiked in the States along the eclipse’s path, with the top five States being New Hampshire, West Virginia (which was not in the path of totality), Arkansas, Indiana, and Rhode Island (which was also not in the path of totality).
The reason for this spike in searches is pretty obvious. While looking at a total solar eclipse while under the path of totality is reasonably safe, it is dangerous to do so at any other time. Even if the sun is 95% covered, staring at it without protective glasses can cause serious damage to your eyes. And, even for those who thought they were protected, fake solar glasses have been making the rounds even at some retail locations.
If you did look at the eclipse without protection and are experiencing pain, you should seek medical assistance.
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