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A New York woman ended up in the emergency room after viewing the eclipse last August using what she thought were safety glasses. Her case highlights the need to visit doctors routinely in order to know more about eye care.

The woman borrowed a pair of eclipse viewing glasses and later complained of a vision blockage. She then went to several emergency centers over the next few days until being directed to the specialists at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.

The woman was ultimately diagnosed with solar retinopathy. It affects both her eyes, mostly her dominant left. There is no treatment available for solar retinopathy, it either improves on its own or remains a permanent condition. Doctors believe it was caused by staring at the solar eclipse that took place earlier this year and that the glasses were not up to standard.

The damage to the eye that the doctors spotted resembles a crescent shape, consistent with the form of the eclipse and the image that the woman drew to show doctors what her loss of vision looked like. To discover the loss of sight, doctors paired normal imaging techniques with adaptive optics. It is thought that using the military-developed adaptive optics led to a diagnosis much sooner than traditional techniques would have on their own.

Adaptive optics allow doctors to look at individual cells and layers of the retina, providing a more comprehensive picture. Doctors and the patient hope the new imaging method also leads to a treatment for solar retinopathy and other conditions of the eye.

The imaging may eventually help doctors to treat a variety of eye issues.

In 1996, Orlando ophthalmology specialist Dr. Magruder, opened his practice and introduced locals to Central Florida’s first refractive surgery center. Since then, he has continued to innovate by introducing game-changing technology and pursuing ongoing education to master the latest techniques. To learn more about the Orlando ophthalmologists at Magruder Laser Vision can do for you, call us at (407) 843-5665 or read our blog for more information!