Eye Health What Is Solar Retinopathy? By Sarah Jividen, RN Sarah Jividen, RN LinkedIn Sarah Jividen, RN, BSN, is a freelance healthcare journalist and content marketing writer at Health Writing Solutions, LLC. She has over a decade of direct patient care experience working as a registered nurse specializing in neurotrauma, stroke, and the emergency room. Learn about our editorial process Published on September 24, 2021 Medically reviewed by Johnstone M. Kim, MD Medically reviewed by Johnstone M. Kim, MD Johnstone M. Kim, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a practicing physician at Midwest Retina in Dublin, Ohio. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis Solar retinopathy is damage to the retina caused by extreme and prolonged light exposure. The retina is the layer of tissue in the back of the eye that is most sensitive to light. This type of eye injury is often associated with sun or solar eclipse viewing. However, other factors can cause this type of eye injury as well. This article will provide an overview of everything you need to know about solar retinopathy, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Getty Images Symptoms Solar retinopathy can occur in both eyes or only one eye. Milder symptoms may include: HeadacheEye sorenessSensitivity to lightWatery eyes More serious symptoms of solar retinopathy include: Changes in vision, such as blurry visionPartial or total loss of vision in one or both eyesVisualizing unnaturally colored objects, or seeing normally colorless objects in colorVisualizing normally straight lines as curvy linesPain in the eye Length of Symptoms Symptoms of solar retinopathy are often temporary and can last anywhere from one month to one year. However, in some cases, there may be permanent damage. Causes Solar retinopathy is usually caused by staring directly into the sun or watching a solar eclipse. The retina is very sensitive to light, and it becomes injured when exposed to excessively bright light. Even a short amount of direct sun radiation can cause damage to the eye. The damage can also be cumulative (occurring over time), meaning if you continually look directly at the sun, the damage adds up. People who regularly sunbathe are at increased risk. Children are especially at risk because their retinas do not have the same ultraviolet (UV) protection as adults. There are other, less common, causes including: WeldingLaser pointersOphthalmic microscopesLight meters People suffering from mental health disorders or drug intoxication may be unaware that they are damaging their retinas by looking at the sun. Diagnosis To be diagnosed with solar retinopathy, an ophthalmologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions of the eye) will have to examine your eyes. They will use optical coherence tomography (OCT), a type of eye imaging, to diagnose issues of the retina. When to See a Doctor If you are experiencing any unusual eye symptoms, it is important to see an ophthalmologist right away. Some eye conditions can be very serious and require immediate attention, such as a detached retina, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the blood vessels supplying it with oxygen and nutrients. A torn or detached retina needs emergency attention and must be treated promptly to avoid permanent eye damage. Treatment Treatment for solar retinopathy usually means waiting for your symptoms to resolve over time. Your vision loss or disturbance can remain for several months, but in most cases, solar retinopathy resolves without treatment. Your ophthalmologist will likely schedule follow-up appointments with you to monitor your recovery progress. Preventing Further Damage It's important to make every effort to prevent further eye damage by wearing protective eyewear, such as sunglasses. Also, avoid looking directly at the sun at all times. Prognosis The prognosis for solar retinopathy is generally positive, as it typically resolves on its own. However, recovery can take several weeks to over a year, depending on the level of retinal damage. In some cases, people never fully recover their vision, although this outcome is rare. The most common approach is to wait it out and see how retinal damage affects your vision over time. A Word From Verywell In most cases, solar retinopathy is a preventable eye injury. Avoid looking directly into the sun, wear glasses with UV protection when outdoors, and do not look directly at a solar eclipse. People have experienced retinal injuries after looking directly into bright light for just a few seconds. If you do experience any unusual changes to your vision, contact an eye doctor for an exam. Fortunately, most cases of solar retinopathy resolve in time and do not cause long-term damage. 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Bruè C, Mariotti C, De Franco E, Fisher Y, Guidotti JM, Giovannini A. Solar retinopathy: a multimodal analysis. Case Rep Ophthalmol Med. 2013;2013:906920. doi:10.1155/2013/906920 Khatib N, Knyazer B, Lifshitz T, Levy J. Acute eclipse retinopathy: A small case series. J Optom. 2014;7(4):225-228. doi:10.1016/j.optom.2013.12.006 Choi S-W, Chun K-I, Lee S-J, Rah S-H. A case of photic retinal injury associated with exposure to plasma arc welding. Korean J Ophthalmol. 2006;20(4):250-253. doi:10.3341/kjo.2006.20.4.250 American Academy of Optimology. Solar retinopathy. Abdellah MM, Mostafa EM, Anber MA, El Saman IS, Eldawla ME. Solar maculopathy: prognosis over one year follow up. BMC Ophthalmol. 2019;19(1):201. doi:10.1186/s12886-019-1199-6 By Sarah Jividen, RN Sarah Jividen, RN, BSN, is a freelance healthcare journalist and content marketing writer at Health Writing Solutions, LLC. She has over a decade of direct patient care experience working as a registered nurse specializing in neurotrauma, stroke, and the emergency room. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit