- Several individuals who stood on stage with Donald Trump at his Tucson, Ariz., rally reported eye accidents after the occasion, saying they suffered ache and momentary blindness
- Although he stated he’d really want to look at the sufferers to make certain, Dr. Jules Winokur, residency program director and vice chair of ophthalmology for Northwell Health, instructed PEOPLE their accidents may have resulted from inadvertent chemical publicity or UV gentle toxicity
- He stated both may clarify the painful, however momentary, signs
Several attendees who stood on stage with Donald Trump at a latest rally in Tucson, Ariz., reported vital eye accidents following the Sept. 12 occasion, saying that they had burning ache and momentary blindness instantly afterward.
Some attendees who sat on the left of the stage sought medical care afterward, NBC affiliate KVOA-TV reported.
“I can’t see anything when I try to open my eyes. I see a bright light. It hurts, it hurts a lot to open my eyes. I have this cold cloth I put on and take off constantly. It's horrible,” Mayra Rodriguez instructed the outlet.
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Other reported signs had been flushed faces and runny noses — however everybody skilled the similar, painful eye signs.
What may have prompted this momentary — however painful — situation?
Dr. Jules Winokur, residency program director and vice chair of ophthalmology for Northwell Health, tells PEOPLE that the signs level to both inadvertent chemical publicity, or UV gentle toxicity.
“There's no way I could know, based on the reports, what's going on,” cautioned Winokur, who added, “We need to examine people to see what's going on.”
But since the signs, whereas painful, had been momentary, he theorized that “there may have been a chemical, because that can irritate the eye.”
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“Alcohol-based products are often used in cleaning and alcohol is somewhat toxic to the eye. There may have been cleaning products that were used heavily in that area [that] then transferred to their hands, and they rubbed their eyes and introduced something.”
“Really hard to say, but it could have been some sort of chemical exposure,” Winokur instructed PEOPLE. And chemical publicity, he stated, “Goes away, it gets better, and people heal.”
“The other possibility is something called UV toxicity,” which, he explains, is a situation that happens when an excessive amount of ultraviolet publicity causes irritation on the floor of the eye—a possible hazard if UV lights had been used at the venue.
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It’s colloquially generally known as “snow blindness,” Winokur defined. “The sunlight reflects off the snow and if you're not wearing any kind of UV protection, you're getting an overload of UV. And that actually causes significant pain and discomfort.”
He in contrast it to the ache welders can expertise in the event that they don’t put on a protecting UV masks.
“If they're welding without it, they often experience severe pain, with vision problems [and their] eyes running.”
As for recommendations that it may have been a chemical publicity from the air vents, Winokur stated that the small, concentrated group of attendees doesn’t assist that principle.
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“These were clustered in a certain section — it wasn't like everyone in the arena had something,” he stated. “It just doesn't make a lot of sense that one vent was toxic and just happened to blow air on just these people.”
As Winokur defined, “The air handling is so large and so big,” in locations like the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, which has a capability of greater than 2000 individuals.
A 3rd chance may have been somebody shining a laser pointer at the attendees, which he stated “could actually burn the inside of your eye.” But he added, “that would cause a permanent vision loss” — and the attendees have reported their signs are bettering.
“The fact that they're getting better is an excellent sign,” he stated. “Hopefully they'll make a full recovery.”
