staring at sun glare

[sarabax11]

I have a serious question. So, today, there was so much water on the black cement floor and the sun was shining on it . There was a huge sun glare on it and I was staring at it because i was thinking about something. It was so bright and the sun on the water reflected into my eyes. My eyes were kind of uncomfortable.
My questions are:
*So, i just  want to know if any parts of the eyes are damaged or damage your vision ?
* is staring at the really bright sun glare of the water in black cement dangerous?
* out of curiousity, will staring at the sun give you cancer or just damage eyes?

[DR_Sunangel]

A related discussion, ocd, depression and sungazing was started.

[sarabax11]

1).so, how would you know if you have snow blindness?( like what are the symptoms)  
2).what is the length of time for you to stare at the light rflected are, in order for your eyes to be damaged.
3). can a doctor realize that your cornea is burnt when examining eyes?

[Sandra M Brown, MD]

Staring at the sun long enough will make you go blind permanently.  I advise against it.  Don't do it even as a game or on a dare.

Staring at light reflected off a surface MAY cause "snow blindness" which is a misnomer, as it can also occur at swimming pools or beaches.  Basically you can give yourself a mild "sunburn" of the corneas.  This may have been what happened.  It does not require any treatment beyond cool compresses and time.