Teacher:In this task, you are given a text of many news articles seperated by special token "|||||". Your task is to summarize them.
Teacher: Now, understand the problem? Solve this instance: How To Tell If Watching The Eclipse Damaged Your Eyes 
  
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images 
  
 Less than an hour after the Great American Eclipse completed its coast-to-coast show on Monday, people's fascination with the sun and the moon quickly turned to concern about their eyes. 
  
 We're hoping all you Shots readers heeded our words of caution and wore eclipse glasses or enjoyed the show indirectly. 
  
 But if you did steal unprotected glances skyward, and especially if your eyes felt funny or hurt a little afterward, you might be wondering how you'll know if you've done any long-term damage. 
  
 To answer that question, we once again turned to Ralph Chou, a professor emeritus of optometry and vision science at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada, and a leading authority on the damage the sun's rays can do to the eye's retina. 
  
 This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 
  
 Interview Highlights 
  
 How would somebody know if they've done any damage? 
  
 It takes at least 12 hours before we can tell if anything has happened. The thing is, if people just saw the sun briefly without a protective filter — just a fraction of a second — the chances they've hurt themselves are very low. 
  
 If they looked at the display of a camera or a smartphone but didn't look through the optics at the sun, they're in no danger. While it may look bright, it isn't all that bright by comparison. They were not getting direct optical radiation from the sun in that case. It's just a duplicate of whatever the sensors see, and there's no danger in that. 
  
 If, for some reason, they forgot to use their filters entirely — well, [permanent damage is] always a possibility, but I would hope that after all the publicity, that that didn't happen. 
  
 What might someone's symptoms be if they didn't use any filters and looked at the sun? 
  
 It wouldn't be until 12 hours later that they would even notice their vision was changing. It might not be until [the next] morning when they wake up and realize that they can't see that well. 
  
 [The symptoms would be] blurred vision, where the very center of the vision might have a spot, or multiple spots, that were missing in their vision — that were very, very blurred. Around it, there might be some clear spots. It really depends on exactly what happened, and what kind of injury there is at the back of the eye. [As Chou told us earlier, this kind of vision loss can get better over several months to a year. But about half the time, it's permanent.] 
  
 What should someone do if they're worried there could be damage? Should they stay indoors or wear sunglasses? 
  
 Seeing an optometrist is faster than getting to see an ophthalmologist. If there is damage, the optometrist would refer the individual to the ophthalmologist for further assessment and management in any case. 
  
 The damage, if any, would not be mitigated by staying indoors or wearing sunglasses, but these are ways to make vision more comfortable as the individual recovers. 
  
 I used an eclipse viewer that came from a reputable seller. But even after looking at the sun for a few seconds through that, I felt like my eyes felt weird and needed time to adjust. 
  
 The thing is, if you look for a sustained period through the filter, you're stimulating only one set of color-sensitive receptors at the back of the eye. So they'll get more work than, say, the receptors that are responsible for green and blue light. And the result will be that for a brief time, you'll suffer the same kind of after-image effects that you get from looking at a very bright headlight or flash from a camera. 
  
 You'll recall how you'll have spots in your vision that are sort of the opposite effect of what you normally see. That kind of thing will happen if you look at the sun for an extended period of time. It'll feel a bit weird as your eyes recover from that. It doesn't mean you've hurt yourself. It's just that you've overloaded some of the photo receptors, and it takes a while to get back to full function. In most cases, it's going to be just a few minutes. There's no lasting damage from that. You would have to be staring at an extremely bright image for minutes at a time before you started to get any clinically significant damage. 
  
 So what did you think about the eclipse? 
  
 For me, this was Total Eclipse No. 19. It was an extremely good eclipse. We had really beautifully clear sky [in Salem, Ore.]. It was just a beautiful sight. So, wow. It was great. ||||| I'm dumb. I was starin at the sun like that shit not even there but it just was so bright I didn't even notice it was there. My eye hurt 😭 ||||| Amsler Grid: Test For Macular Degeneration Or Other Vision Problems 
  
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 The Amsler grid is a tool that eye doctors use to detect vision problems resulting from damage to the macula (the central part of the retina) or the optic nerve. 
  
  
  
  
  
 The damage may be caused by macular degeneration or other eye diseases, so the Amsler grid is useful in detecting these problems. 
  
 An early diagnosis means early treatment, so it may help to limit or at least slow the vision loss you experience. 
  
 If you are at risk for macular degeneration or other eye diseases, you can use this chart at home to monitor your vision. But using the chart doesn't mean you should skip regular visits to your eye doctor, because you can easily miss signs that only a trained eye care practitioner will find. 
  
 The chart below is an approximation of the printed chart used by eye doctors. For more accurate detection of macular damage, you will need a complete eye exam. 
  
 Click here to download a copy of this Amsler grid and instructions for use. 
  
 How To Do The Amsler Grid Test 
  
 Testing your eyes with an Amsler grid is easy and takes only a few minutes. Here are the basic steps: 
  
 Test your eyes under normal room lighting used for reading. Wear eyeglasses you normally wear for reading (even if you wear only store-bought reading glasses. Hold the Amsler grid approximately 14 to 16 inches from your eyes. Test each eye separately: Cup your hand over one eye while testing the other eye. Keep your eye focused on the dot in the center of the grid and answer these questions: Do any of the lines in the grid appear wavy, blurred or distorted? 
  
 Do all the boxes in the grid look square and the same size? 
  
 Are there any "holes" (missing areas) or dark areas in the grid? 
  
 Can you see all corners and sides of the grid (while keeping your eye on the central dot)? Switch to the other eye and repeat. 
  
 IMPORTANT — Report any irregularities to your eye doctor immediately. Mark areas of the Amsler grid that you're not seeing properly (print two grids if you notice problems in each eye), and bring the grid(s) with you when you visit your eye doctor. 
  
 Check your eyes with the Amsler grid as frequently as your doctor recommends, or whenever you notice a significant change in your eyesight. 
  
 Please note: If you have an urgent question about your eye health, contact your eye care practitioner immediately. This page is designed to provide general information about vision, vision care and vision correction. It is not intended to provide medical advice. If you suspect that you have a vision problem or a condition that requires attention, consult with an eye care professional for advice on the treatment of your own specific condition and for your own particular needs. For more information, read our Terms of Use. 
  
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Student:
Despite many warnings about the possibility of permanent eye damage—and, in one case, the advice of a presidential aide—a lot of people ended up looking at the sun during Monday's eclipse without the recommended solar filter. Jacob Chung, chief of ophthalmology at New Jersey's Englewood Hospital, tells USA Today that people who looked at the sun for a few seconds are probably fine, but 10 seconds could cause damage, and 20 seconds is "definitely too long." He says people with damaged eyes won't feel pain, but they may begin to experience blurry vision within a day or two. Experts recommend that people worried about eye damage print off an Amsler grid and use it to check for vision problems. University of Waterloo optometry professor Ralph Chou tells NPR that symptoms won't be apparent for at least 12 hours. After that, he says, people might experience "blurred vision, where the very center of the vision might have a spot, or multiple spots, that were missing in their vision—that were very, very blurred. Around it, there might be some clear spots." He says people worried about damage should see an optometrist, and that while wearing sunglasses won't mitigate the damage, it will make vision more comfortable during recovery. BuzzFeed has rounded up tweets from people complaining about sore eyes after the eclipse. "My eyes melted," claims one person.