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A handful of Quebecers appear to have sought help for vision problems in the days following the total solar eclipse, but a provincial association of optometrists said there’s been “more fear than harm.”
In the days leading up to the rare phenomenon, health professionals had warned against attempting to catch a glimpse of the sun without certified eclipse glasses, as staring directly at it can cause eye damage.
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“Optometric clinics received calls following the eclipse, the vast majority of those who called mentioned having a feeling of discomfort or slight pain, dry eyes, watery eyes,” Louise Dion, the director of marketing and communications for the Association des optométristes du Québec, said in an email. “In short, nothing serious, more fear than harm.”
Urgences-Santé said it received five calls about blurry vision since Monday, all of which were redirected to Info-Santé. The Institut national de santé publique du Québec did not respond to a request about how many calls 811 received related to the eclipse.
Vision 770, which offers eye exams at multiple locations in Montreal, said it performed about 15 emergency exams for patients who were concerned about their vision following the eclipse. Everyone was fine, it said.
Dr. Langis Michaud, a professor at Université de Montréal’s optometry school, said the Ordre des optométristes du Québec has asked its members to declare cases to them. The order, for its part, said there’s no indication that a significant number of patients needed emergency tests following the eclipse.
“People seemed to have respected the instructions for a secure observation of the eclipse,” a spokesperson said.
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