Eye doctor warns of dangers of looking at the eclipse

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The excitement is building for Monday's total solar eclipse.

Experts warned about looking at the eclipse with the naked eye and urged everyone to view the once in-a- lifetime event with special viewing glasses.

WPXI'S Scott Harbaugh spoke to Dr. Deepinder Dhaliwal, a UPMC Professor of Ophthalmology.

Dhaliwal explained how these one-of-a-kind glasses are specifically made for staring into the sun.

"It's not sunglasses, it's not two pairs of sunglasses, it has to be specific solar eclipse glasses,” Dhaliwal explains.

Be sure to double check and make sure your glasses are legitimate before you go outside on Monday.

“Again, there are some counterfeit solar eclipse glasses out there, and they could be extremely damaging to your eye,” Dhaliwal said.

If you already have a pair of solar eclipse glasses, make sure there are no scratches or holes in the lenses.

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The frames will also have to have an “ISO” stamp on them and the certification 12312-2. If you are not using these certified glasses, staring at the sun could cause permanent eye damage.

"If it's not, if it's counterfeit, there are some people that are doing counterfeit solar eclipse glasses, they could be extremely damaging,” he said. "There's no pain receptors in the retina, so you don't even know it's happening. The effect will not be immediate. So you'll think, oh I just snuck a peek. However, hours later you'll realize that your vision's perhaps blurred and then eventually if it's severe damage you'll have a permanent blind spot."

If you plan on using a telescope to check out the eclipse on Monday, you will also have to make sure that has a special filter as well.

"If you were to accidentally catch the sun, unfiltered, through a telescope, it could cause permanent blindness in a fraction of a second," Dhaliwal said.

Cox Media Group