As you prepare to watch the solar eclipse on Monday it's important to keep safety in mind.

Glasses specifically made for eclipse viewing are essential. If you don’t have a pair, they are widely available online and through local organizations and businesses.

Dr. Mahvash Madni says as gets darker, our instinct is to still look up at the sun — perhaps without those glasses. However, health professionals are warning there are still sun rays beaming down. 

You're still getting the same ultraviolet rays. Those can do damage, especially to the retina. That’s the part at the back of your eye that receives the light that enters through the lens at the front.

When we have damage to the cells and tissues of the retina, we're not going to be forming those images properly. That can cause long-term damage. Blurry vision spots in front of the eyes for example. Sometimes it can be permanent.

Doctors say you won’t even know you’re hurting yourself. You won’t even feel it.

“It’s not going to be painful. We're not going to be squinting," said Dr. Madni, spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "We're just going to be thinking that, 'this is a cool thing to see,' all the while damaging our eyes without realizing it. So the damage may not even be apparent until several hours later.”

You need to make sure eclipse glasses meet the international standards of approval. They will be labeled ISO 12312–2.

Again, you need to wear them during the entire Eclipse — except for those few minutes of totality.