Don’t Be Foolish Like Donald Trump Today – Mother Jones

I am still Suffering from a Trump-era induced brain meltdown. But even against the unchecked flow of idiots who gave rise to my illness, one particularly foolish moment stands out: former President Donald Trump’s look at the solar eclipse.

As I wrote at the time, this was a deeply Trumpian phenomenon that, in character, rejected both science and common sense from the literal highest office of government, the White House. But returning to this moment seven years later, a strange tingling connection emerges – and I can’t help but relate to it. There is something understandable about the foolish curiosity with which he momentarily disregarded the rules. Thrill! (But I speak as someone who boldly touched a painting during a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

So on the eve of another total eclipse, I spoke to Dr. Viola Kanevsky, a renowned New York-based optometrist, to find out what the eyes can take, should my own mischief cost me too much ? Different types of melting.

Here’s what she wanted to tell me about the possibility of eye damage—and Trump’s infamous 2017 turn toward the sun.

What one safety measure would you like to make people aware about during Monday’s solar eclipse?

Ideally, you have a pair of solar eclipse glasses. You can also go online and learn how to build a pinhole camera so you can view the eclipse indirectly. But if you want to view the eclipse directly, you’ll really need approved glasses.

My main advice is that people should not look at it directly, especially: vulnerable people, like small children; People who have light eyes; Or people who have recently had cataract surgery. Normally if you look at the sun you will either sneeze or close your eyes. When an eclipse occurs, especially before it is partially obstructed, it is not bright enough to force you to close your eyes. But it is still intense enough to cause permanent damage to the retina.

Tell me what effect the eclipse has on the eyes scientifically. Do eyes really burn? And if so, what does that feel like?

Unfortunately, the retinal damage does not seem to be anything. If you pinch your skin, you have receptors that cause pain, and you feel pain. But if you burn or tear the retina, you may see flashing lights, but this is a painless phenomenon.

The damage does not appear until hours or sometimes even days later. Light damages the retinal pigment epithelium, causing inflammation of the retinal layers and releasing free radicals that continue to damage the retina over time. Therefore it follows that damage continues beyond the exposure time. The result is decreased acuity, distortion of vision, blind spots. You may get any of these symptoms. Any of these should prompt you to visit a doctor of optometry and get it checked immediately.

So it should be clear. How soon after exposure do these symptoms actually appear?

This can begin anywhere from an hour to a week after exposure before you start seeing symptoms.

Are we talking about permanent damage?

Often this is permanent damage. If it is a very brief and very mild exposure, most cases will resolve within about six weeks, meaning you will regain your vision. But the metamorphosis that often accompanies it is waviness, a distortion of vision that sometimes persists permanently.

I have patients who have solar burns or solar holes whose vision is 20/40, 20/80, or sometimes even worse – and permanently. But what’s worse is that there is a blind spot in central vision, meaning they are actually missing an image right in the middle of their vision.

Are there processes that undo that damage?

Unfortunately no. We’ve tried things like steroid treatments, but the best treatment is prevention.

So when talking about all this, Donald Trump’s extremes in the sun come to mind. What were your initial thoughts after watching the President of the United States ignore warnings not to watch?

This was unfortunate. Of course, I don’t know his eye history. But it sets a bad example, especially for those who don’t know and don’t have the information, like young children, who may want to do the same thing later on. They were made unsafe.

Trump saw the eclipse in 2017. It is now seven years later. So even though many things are wrong about him, his vision remains intact.

Well, how will I know? I have not checked his eyes. There is no way to know by looking at someone whether they only have 20/40 vision or have a blind spot in one eye. And, at his age, you should wear reading glasses at all times instead of squinting. He is not even doing that.

Any advice for them for this upcoming eclipse?

I don’t give people forward-looking advice. But I would recommend anyone at any age to get checked every year to make sure their eyes are healthy. Of course, as people age, it’s important to make sure their eyes are healthy to avoid the symptoms of conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts – things that are preventable and treatable.

Okay, wonderful. Anything else we should know?

The only suggestion I have for kids is that they read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court By Mark Twain. There is an eclipse, and knowing the date of the eclipse can save someone’s life. This is a funny story.