Google searches for ‘eye pain after solar eclipse’ surge after people stare at the Sun

Internet searches were highest in the states in the direct path of the eclipse

North America witnessed an incredible total solar eclipse on Monday, as Americans across the country looked to the skies to witness the rare event of the Moon blocking out the Sun.

But it seems like some didn't listen to the health warnings prior of the event.

Ahead of the eclipse, experts and scientists were keen to warn people that looking directly at the Sun is a very bad idea and that people should use special glasses which block UV rays.

As is often the case though, plenty of people decided to ignore the advice, thinking they know better than experts.

Lo and behold, in the hours after the astronomical event, internet searches for eye pain soared and on social media, people were complaining about their eyes hurting..

After taking a picture of the eclipse and sharing it online, one person wrote: "My eyes are now boiling and my neck is suspiciously sore."

Another said: "Stared at the eclipse for an hour and a half, my eyes are sore."

A third wrote: "I kept looking at the eclipse with my bare eyes!! IM SUFFERING RIGHT NOW!!! I HAVE A MAJOR HEADACHE AND MY EYES ARE SORE!!"

Meanwhile, IGN reports that 'MY EYES' was trending on X as the eclipse took place, and internet searches for eye pain rocketed in large areas of the US in the hour after the event.

In a post on X, Wall Street Journal writer Shalom Goodman shared that Google searches for 'my eyes hurt' and 'why do my eyes hurt' soared in the minutes and hours after the solar eclipse.

Meanwhile, others noticed that the searches for terms like this were also much higher in the states in the path of the eclipse.

States such as Maine, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Texas were in the direct path of the eclipse, and it was here that internet searches for eye-related pain were at their highest.

It will be a while before the US sits in the Sun's shadow again though. The next solar eclipse won't happen until August 23, 2044.

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