LOS ANGELES (AP) - Anderson Cooper says a reporting assignment turned into a temporary blindness scare.
On his talk show Tuesday, Cooper said he was in Portugal last week working on a story for "60 Minutes" and spent two hours on the water. The newsman says that later, he developed a burning sensation in his eyes and lost sight for 36 hours.
Showing a photo he took of himself with an eye patch, Cooper joked it would be his new online dating picture.
On a more serious note, Cooper said he wanted to warn viewers about the risk.
Dr. Nancy Snyderman, chief medical correspondent for NBC News, explained to Cooper he had suffered a retina burn. Snyderman cautioned that "everybody needs sunglasses," adding that protection from the sun can prevent cataracts later in life.
By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Independent voices from the TWT Communities

We welcome you to the intimate and personal thoughts on the news and events we, as editors, watch, read, and discuss with our writers every day.

Consummate traveler Todd DeFeo explores the unique stories that make destinations worth going to.