With the Monday, April 8, total solar eclipse drawing thousands to the Toledo area to watch this once-in-a-lifetime experience, the UTMC podcast, Prescribed Listening, discusses how you and your family can view the eclipse safely with Dr. Svitlana Zhukivska, a UTMC family medicine specialist.
Among the advice Dr. Zhukivska provides is to use eclipse glassed when looking at the sun. She says that looking at the sun with sunglasses or your camera phone alone won’t provide the protection needed for your eyes. Without eclipse glasses, looking at the eclipse can cause permanent eye damage.
“The solar rays that are coming from the sun can go to your retina and then cause damage to retinal cells,” Zhukivska says. “For some of the cells, it can be permanent damage, which can result in temporary or permanent blind spots.”
So, what should you look for when shopping for eclipse glasses? Zhukivska says to make sure you are using a reputable vendor and that they meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standards. “The glasses should have the ISO number and the logo and the manufacturer’s name on them.”
She also emphasizes the importance of making certain the lenses are not scratched or wrinkled. If they are scratched or have any damage to them, she says not to use them.
To review this episode and the podcast’s entire library of episodes, go to the UTMC Prescribed Listening website.
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