Headaches After The Solar Eclipse Might Be Normal, Here's What You Should Know

If you were lucky enough to witness the 2017 solar eclipse firsthand, you know it was an exciting, unparalleled experience. However, as exciting as it was to see IRL, you may be experiencing some side effects of looking up at the sun this afternoon. Even if you were wearing the proper solar eclipse glasses, you might be experiencing headaches after the solar eclipse, but don't panic right away.

It's totally normal to go into hypochondria mode. You're told not to look directly into the sun, but you get so caught up in the moment that you find yourself staring at the eclipse with your glasses for longer than you even planned to. Staring at the solar eclipse is just too dreamy to pass up, am I right?

Now, every little symptom might have you worried. But don't worry, because you're certainly not alone. Your eyes are sensitive to bright lights, so it's common to have a headache after staring at one the brightest lights in our galaxy. If you're prone to getting migraines after being in bright light, you may feel comforted to know your headache is most likely due to that, rather than any permanent eye damage. If you were sitting in your cubicle all day long until you went outside to watch the eclipse, that's a pretty big adjustment your eyes had to make to the surrounding light, too.

The best you can do now is to rest your eyes. You really put them to work looking at the solar eclipse today. Just like spending a day in the sun relaxing at the beach, you now need to rest them. But, if your symptoms are not letting up, you should definitely reach out to a professional to consult them about all of your symptoms.

If you wore the proper eye gear, you're probably in the clear. The headache you're experiencing may just be from a little more exposure to bright lights than you're typically used to. The reason you're seeing all of these warnings is because as much as it should be self-explanatory, some of us need to be reminded not to stare directly at the sun. Ultimately, if you played it safe with some solar eclipse glasses and didn't stare at the sky for too long, don't panic. Just don't put your eyes through anymore serious exercise today. Take a break.