How long look at sun before damage

Short-term damage "solar retinopathy" occurs when a person stares directly at the sun , and is a result of too much ultraviolet light flooding the retina. In extreme cases this can cause blindness, but is so painful that it is rare for someone to be able to stare at the sun for that long. Typically, eye damage from staring at the sun results in blurred vision, dark or yellow spots, pain in bright light or loss of vision in the center of the eye the fovea. See what they look like and learn what causes them.

Learn about the procedure of scleral buckling and how long it takes to recover. The retina is a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye on the inside. It is located near the optic nerve. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Ann Marie Griff, O. What happens to your eye? What happens when you stare at the sun for too long? What are the symptoms of eye damage from staring at the sun?

When to see an eye doctor. Treating eye damage. Preventing damage to your eyes. The bottom line. Read this next. Medically reviewed by University of Illinois. Most people who experience solar keratitis and solar retinopathy make a full recovery but, depending on the level of damage, this can take up to 12 months.

Others never fully recover complete vision , and continue to experience vision problems such as blurriness or spots. They should be able to establish the degree of damage, if any, and advise you how to best manage your recovery. If you really need to look at the sun, there are simple and safe ways to do so. One method is to fashion a simple pinhole camera. At the center of the retina is the macula, which is responsible for what we see right in front of our eyes — it provides the sharpest sight.

If the macula is damaged, you'll go from seeing sharp detail in the center of your vision to seeing a dark grey or black spot, says Dr. This is because the retina is thinnest at the macular region, making the retina's protective outer layer the retinal pigment epithelium, or RPE most susceptible to sun damage in that area. You really don't have to look at the sun for very long at all for photochemical toxicity to occur, says Schuman.

Retinal damage could occur in just 30—60 seconds, and sometimes even less, he says. Once the retina is exposed to sunlight damage, the macula's cells are damaged, rendering them unable to properly process visual information, says Habash. This is when you end up with dark spots in the center of your vision. Once the retina's cells have experienced photochemical toxicity, Habash says "there's not much we can do about it. You could be left with permanent, "disabling" vision loss, says Schuman.