On April 8, 随着美国大片地区经历一场炎热的天气，数百万美国人将忍不住盯着太阳看 total or partial solar eclipse. 日食是指月亮挡住或部分挡住太阳，在地球上投下阴影.
但是，不加保护地盯着太阳——即使月亮挡住了太阳的一部分——也会导致视力下降.
坏消息是，一旦眼睛受到太阳的伤害，就没有治疗方法, according to Kareem Moussa, an ophthalmologist at the Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute at UC Davis Health.
“这种损害可能在盯着太阳不到一分钟的时间内开始发生, and it may not be noticeable until hours later,” Moussa said.
Moussa is an expert on the human retina. He explained that the eye focuses light onto the retina, the area at the back of the eye. 视网膜通过视神经将眼睛的信号传递给大脑, allowing us to perceive images of the world.
“A functioning retina is required for good vision. 盯着太阳会对视网膜中的一些细胞造成毒性或损害. When these cells are damaged, 从视网膜到大脑的正常信息流动被中断,” Moussa explained.
任何时候盯着太阳——不仅仅是在日食期间——都会导致眼睛损伤. Moussa has treated patients with sun-damaged retinas.
“Typically, 在盯着太阳12小时后，这种损害会变得明显，并持续3到4个月. 通常，这会导致视觉中间出现盲点或视觉扭曲区域. The impact on vision can be severe,” Moussa said.
人们也会觉得应该是直的东西看起来歪歪扭扭，或者东西看起来比应该的大或小. 如果有人有任何这些症状，他们应该寻求眼科医生的评估.
穆萨指出，尽管任何人都可能因看太阳而受到严重伤害, kids are even more vulnerable. 那是因为它们的眼睛里有非常清晰的晶状体, compared to adults, which let in more light. 穆萨解释说:“随着年龄的增长，眼内的晶状体逐渐变得浑浊。. “Younger people also tend to have more dilated pupils, which lets more light into the eye, and can lead to more damage from staring at the sun.”
For people who experience sun damage to their eyes, 通常在接下来的六个月里会有一些恢复. 但对一些人来说，损伤可能是永久性的，视力不会恢复正常.
这就是为什么从一开始就防止损害是如此重要.
No sunglasses, and beware of fake eclipse glasses
首先要知道的是，太阳镜并不能保护你的眼睛不看日食.
“有些人错误地认为戴上深色的太阳镜就足够了. It will not!” Moussa said.
观看日食的防护眼镜比太阳眼镜暗几千倍.
“除非眼镜有一个太阳能过滤器，满足 ISO 12312-2 standard, 保护眼睛免受阳光照射的国际安全标准是什么, 如果你戴着墨镜看日食，你的眼睛会有严重损伤的风险,” said Moussa.
不幸的是，假冒的日食眼镜看起来和真眼镜一模一样 are hitting the market. Using counterfeit glasses could lead to eye damage.
The American Astronomical Society (AAS)提醒消费者不要在亚马逊上搜索日食眼镜, eBay, Temu或任何其他在线市场，从提供最低价格的供应商那里购买.
AAS公布了一份符合ISO 12312-2国际标准的北美制造商名单, for solar eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers and a guide to watching the eclipse safely.
NASA also has a useful guide on different ways to safely view the eclipse.
用正确的眼睛保护，观看日食或日偏食可以是一个伟大的经验. The upcoming eclipse in the U.S. 将会是一个百年一遇的事件:日全食不会在美国发生.S. again until August 2044.
“日食是一个令人兴奋的事件，”穆萨说. “Enjoy it safely.”
Tips in brief
- 普通的太阳镜，甚至是非常暗的太阳镜，都不适合看太阳
- Make sure eclipse glasses are from a vendor 被证实销售符合ISO 12312-2标准的眼镜
- 在不到一分钟的时间里，眼睛就会因为看太阳而受到伤害
- Kids’ eyes can be even more vulnerable to sun damage
- Beware of fake and counterfeit eclipse glasses
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