Dozens seek eye care after solar eclipse across Germany and Switzerland

Eclipse watchers seek help

On Wednesday, 12 August 2026, a partial solar eclipse was visible across Germany and Switzerland, with Freiburg recording roughly 90 percent sun coverage. Despite advance warnings from health authorities, including the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in Germany and the Federal Office of Public Health in Switzerland, many observers watched without certified protective glasses or removed them during the event. The Swiss health authority had specified that glasses meeting the ISO 12312-2:2015 and CE standards were required. By the following day, dozens of people had contacted eye clinics across both countries reporting symptoms including headaches, dizziness, burning eyes, dark spots, and distorted vision.

In Berlin, the Charité university hospital treated ten people in its ophthalmic emergency service during the night of 12 to 13 August. The clinic said emergency rooms were prepared for further patients in the coming days, as symptoms can appear with a delay. In Bavaria, the University Eye Clinic in Erlangen examined six patients with typical complaints. Bettina Hohberger, lecturer and eye doctor at the Erlangen clinic, described the diagnostic process: a standard vision test followed by examination for burns, with imaging procedures revealing details of injury patterns. Five of the six patients were given the all-clear with no permanent damage expected, while the sixth remained under investigation. At the LMU Munich Eye Clinic, deputy head Benedikt Schworm reported four cases with visible findings on the retina through optical coherence tomography, though he described the overall patient volume as lower than expected.

Clinics in the southwest

In Baden-Württemberg, where the eclipse was most visible, several clinics reported a steady stream of concerned patients. The University Hospital Mannheim eye clinic received about 20 inquiries, with patients complaining of headaches and dizziness, according to clinic director Robert Patrick Finger.

In all these cases we expect it to disappear without a trace.

At the Klinikum Stuttgart, roughly 20 patients presented by midday on 13 August, none with confirmed damage. In Freiburg, eight people sought help at the university clinic during the night, with a handful more reporting burning, headaches, or visual spots the following day. No objective deterioration of vision was found in any Freiburg patient. A clinic spokesperson estimated that similar presentations would continue in the coming days.

Swiss clinics report inquiries

In Switzerland, eye practices also reported a wave of inquiries. A practice in St. Gallen confirmed "relatively many" requests, while an eye center in Bern said five or six people had come forward and had scheduled additional emergency appointments. A Zurich practice also confirmed contacts without giving specific numbers. Several practices expected more patients on Friday and beyond, as some symptoms can take hours or days to surface.

Prof. Nicolas Feltgen, chief physician at the Basel Eye Clinic, explained that focused sunlight can cause swelling of the retina and photoreceptors, producing a central shadow or spot. The condition, known as solar retinopathy, involves a small burn of the cells in the macula, with the fovea, the sharpest point of vision, most at risk. The retina has no pain receptors, meaning damage can occur without immediate awareness. Feltgen noted that the dominant eye is most commonly affected and that swelling can take one to two weeks to subside.

Not infrequently a residual damage remains.

Risk of permanent damage

The retina is nerve tissue that does not regenerate, said Christopher Wirbelauer, medical director of the Eye Clinic Berlin-Marzahn. In cases of severe damage, he said, "no drops, no medications, no operations" can help. To examine the retina, the pupil must be dilated; burns may appear as brownish to black spots. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection had warned that there are no warning signals for retinal damage; by the time vision problems are noticed, the damage is already done. Such damage would be immediately noticeable, Wirbelauer said: vision would deteriorate so sharply that affected individuals could no longer read text. A 33-year-old woman identified as Ada told 20 Minutes she lost nearly all vision for two to three weeks after briefly looking at a solar eclipse in 2015 on the Canary Islands without protection. Her vision eventually recovered, but her eyes remain highly light-sensitive. Social media users on TikTok posted videos describing white, yellow, red, and orange spots and blurred vision after watching the 12 August event without glasses.