Solar eclipse 2017: People treated for putting sunscreen on eyeballs to watch solar event

President Donald Trump points to the sun as he arrives to view the solar eclipse, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

U.S. President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse without his protective glasses on as he views the eclipse from the Truman balcony of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump and Melania Trump watch the solar eclipse from the White House in Washington, U.S., August 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Donald Trump points to the sun as he arrives to view the solar eclipse, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

U.S. President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse without his protective glasses on as he views the eclipse from the Truman balcony of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump and Melania Trump watch the solar eclipse from the White House in Washington, U.S., August 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Donald Trump points to the sun as he arrives to view the solar eclipse, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Sarah Young

August 30 2017 07:03 AM

It turns out that Donald Trump wasn't the only one sneaking a peek at last week's eclipse without proper protection

While millions of Americans were warned to don special protective sunglasses to safely view the celestial spectacle, some people tried to use sunscreen. Seriously.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, left, and Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, center, wear protective glasses as they view the solar eclipse, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Since the event, health professionals have reported treating people complaining of irritation after putting sun cream in their eyes.

“One of my colleagues at moonlight here stated yesterday that they had patients presenting at their clinic that put sunscreen on their eyeball," Trish Patterson, a nurse at Prestige Urgent Care in Redding, California, told KRCTV.

President Donald Trump puts on protective glasses to view the solar eclipse at the White House, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"They presented that they were having pain and they were referred to an ophthalmologist.”

Prior to the anticipated astronomical event, experts urged eclipse watchers to invest in NASA-approved spectacles, or to view the eclipse indirectly by projecting an image of the sun onto a screen.

Unsurprisingly, sunscreen was not listed among the recommended methods to take as applying to the eyes can cause blurriness, pain or irritation.

Patterson also warned that it only takes seconds of staring directly at the sun to cause lasting damage with other signs including dark spots in the centre of vision and cloudiness.