The US, Canada, Mexico and parts of North America witnessed a rare total solar eclipse on Monday. Millions of people came out of their homes to catch a glimpse of the astronomical phenomenon and social media was flooded with videos and photos of the same.
However, according to a report in the New York Post, the much-anticipated solar eclipse caused something called the “eclipse sickness” among people. Many social media users claimed that they were suffering from insomnia, headaches and even irregular menstrual cycles.
According to the outlet, people reported these symptoms in the week ahead of the solar eclipse. “Any of you also experiencing headache because of the solar eclipse?” a user questioned on X.
Another user commented, “Been feeling physically sick for a few days now and I feel like it’s because of the Mercury retrograde and the upcoming solar eclipse. Does anyone else feel off/sick these days.”
A third user enquired, “A lot of people talking about the Total Solar Eclipse and Full moon. But, is anyone else actually FEELING it?”
A fourth user added, “Anyone else suffering from weird insomnia, no appetite and other weird s–t that can’t be explained?”
Fortunately, scientists have not found any correlation between totality and the aforementioned symptoms. They deemed it a case of “cosmic hypochondria”.
“There is no physical relationship between a total solar eclipse and your health, any more than there is a relationship between your health and a new moon,” NASA wrote on its website during the Great Eclipse of 2017. “Among a random sample of people, you may find such correlations from time to time but they are outnumbered by all the other occasions during which your health was excellent.”
Meanwhile, during the eclipse and post the spectacle, “my eyes hurt” searches saw a massive spike on Google. According to a report by 9to5Google, the search peaked around 2.30-3 pm (ET). The development comes amid reports about fake glasses from China infiltrating US markets, according to New York Post.
To avoid serious injury to the eyes, an eclipse should be viewed through proper solar eclipse glasses. People who attempt to view the blackout without proper eyewear risk damaging their retina that can lead to impaired vision or permanent blindness.
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