Searches for 'eyes hurt' spike across Ontario after people stared at solar eclipse

People across Ontario have turned to Google wondering about why their eyes hurt after staring directly at the sun for a prolonged period on Monday afternoon during the rare total solar eclipse.

Google Trends traffic shows a significant spike in search activity for terms like "eyes hurt" and "why do my eyes hurt" in the hours following Monday's celestial spectacle, likely after failing to heed the warnings about wearing proper eclipse wear to view the event safely.

Spike in searches for "eyes hurt" in Ontario. Google.

Searches for such terms spiked across the province, but the most pronounced leaps in search traffic occurred in towns and cities that lie under the eclipse's path of totality.

Some of the most frenzied searches for ophthalmology advice came from places like Grimsby, Cornwall, Brantford and Belleville, where the masses were treated to 100 per cent coverage of the sun by the moon.

Spike in searches for "eyes hurt" in Ontario. Google.

Those who failed to heed the warnings of experts could be looking (figuratively) at serious long-term damage to their corneas, including permanent spotting on vision similar to the short-term after-effects of looking at a bright light.

In some cases, people who stared at Monday's eclipse without any eye protection may even go blind from the damage – which experts warn is irreversible.