Spain's solar eclipse leaves more than 300 people needing treatment for eye injuries

Ophthalmology departments have so far reported only minor injuries. However, specialists warned that more serious damage can take three days or longer to produce symptoms including blurred vision, distorted images, changes in colour perception, excessive sensitivity to light, difficulty reading or the appearance of a black spot in the field of vision.

Ophthalmologists continued to advise people on Thursday to contact a medical centre if they develop any of these symptoms and did not take the appropriate precautions while viewing the eclipse.

Itchy eyes, irritation and other discomfort do not, by themselves, necessarily indicate an injury that could cause permanent loss of vision.

The most common eye injury following exposure to a solar eclipse is solar retinopathy, a condition affecting the retina caused by staring directly at the Sun without adequate protection.

According to the Clinical and Surgical Institute of Ophthalmology, excessive exposure can cause a burn and a photochemical reaction that destroys the retina's photoreceptor cells, potentially resulting in permanent damage to vision.

The eclipse also led to increased activity in hospital A&E departments across Spain, particularly in ophthalmology units. The Valencian Community reported the highest number of consultations for eye injuries, with 70, followed by the Basque Country with 58.

Oihana Ormazabal, head of the A&E department at Donostia University Hospital, said all the conditions reported were mild and that none could be linked to the eclipse.

A similar assessment was given by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS), which recorded 44 attendances in ophthalmology A&E departments related to the eclipse.

None required hospital admission or was considered serious, although the SAS didn't rule out further attendances being recorded in the following hours.

The figures from the other autonomous communities were also relatively low. Catalonia recorded 40 attendances, Murcia 32, Galicia 19 and the Balearic Islands 18, where totality ended.

Asturias, where totality lasted the longest, also recorded 18 cases, as did Castilla-La Mancha. There were seven in Navarre, four in La Rioja, three in Extremadura and one in Castilla y León. The Community of Madrid recorded 101 medical attendances for a combination of dizziness, discomfort and eye problems.

Warnings issued in the days before the eclipse had helped raise public awareness. Ophthalmologists repeatedly advised people to use eclipse glasses fitted with a specific filter complying with the international ISO 12312-2 standard, which blocks all solar radiation. Once the glasses had been put on, they should not be removed while looking at the Sun.

Ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass and X-ray film do not provide adequate protection from solar radiation and should not be used to view an eclipse.