Thousands of people across North America flocked outside on the afternoon of Monday, August 21, 2017 to witness the amazing natural phenomena that was the solar eclipse.
Technically speaking, "This celestial event is a solar eclipse in which the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to about three hours, from beginning to end, as viewed from a given location" according to NASA.
Since the last solar eclipse like this took place some 37 years ago, it was certainly an event not to be missed.
Of course, the catch with the solar eclipse is that looking at it with your bare eyes can be extremely damaging and even potentially lead to blindness.
There are plenty of ways to safely view the solar eclipse that don't lead to permanent eye damage.
However, using sunscreen on your eyeballs is not one of them and unfortunately some people missed the memo.
Thumbnail Photo: Pixabay / Wikimedia Commons
The solar eclipse was an exciting event indeed.
Unfortunately, it also marked a time when most people did something they have always been warned against — staring directly into the sun.
According to TIME, staring directly at the sun during a solar eclipse can lead to a condition called "eclipse blindness," which results from burning your retina and can causes both temporary and permanent vision problems.
Consequently, agencies like NASA institutes warnings and provided information about safe viewing methods.
Eclipse glasses like the ones above were sold everywhere in preparation, and their lenses were so dark that you could barely see anything — besides the eclipse, of course.
However, glasses sold out quickly, and not everyone got to buy a pair in time.
That led a few unfortunate souls to attempt a different, DIY approach to eclipse-viewing: putting sunscreen directly on their eyes.
This might sound like common sense to anyone who has ever accidentally gotten any kind of foreign material in their eyes, but eyes and sunscreen do not mix.
Apparently, that did not stop some people from rubbing sunscreen into their eyes in an attempt to view the eclipse without the proper equipment, according to The Sun.
Health professionals in Bristol, Virginia are proud to report that they haven’t had to treat anyone for sun damage, but they have had patients come in complaining of sore eyes.
Examinations reveal that their soreness is not from the eclipse or sun itself, but rather the fact that they put sunscreen in their eyes.
KRTV reports that a nurse practitioner from Redding, California said one of her colleagues said, "They had patients presenting at their clinic that put sunscreen on their eyeball, and presented that they were having pain and they were referred to a ophthalmologist."
It should go without saying that sunscreen should never be applied to your eyes. Sunscreen is made to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
So, the next time there is a solar eclipse in 2024, make sure to invest in some glasses and leave the sunscreen for your skin.
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