Caught bunnies, what to do at home, drops, burn treatment

Many workers, when performing gas welding work, are faced with such a common problem as corneal burns or welding bunnies. What to do if your eyes hurt from welding and how can a person help himself?

In the medical field, this condition is called electroophthalmia. It manifests itself in various signs and has serious complications for the full health of the visual organs. That is why every worker should know exactly why you should not look at welding and which first aid methods will be most effective.

Eyes hurt from welding

Causes of eye pain from welding

Electroophthalmia is a sensation of intense pain and burning in the eyeballs that occurs when working with welding equipment. Most often, the reason for watery eyes after welding is a careless attitude to compliance with the basic safety principles when using electric welding equipment.

The pain in the eyes when welding is a consequence of the fact that the worker inhales a huge amount of fumes from hot metal, and also looks at the electric arc that occurs as a result of specific ultraviolet radiation. If a person has seen enough of welding, he develops a burn to the eye, since the cornea is one of the hypersensitive and susceptible tissues. This process is accompanied by inflammation and sharp pain.

The degree of damage to the ocular structure and the symptoms of electroophthalmia directly depend on the cause of this condition:

poor-quality mask - the presence of gaps between the protective device and the light filters allows harmful rays to penetrate directly into the eyes;
independent assembly of metal structures, which is most often carried out without a protective mask;
protective equipment that does not meet the complexity of the work being carried out;
A common cause of eye burns is being in close proximity to a welding machine.

Electroophthalmia during welding has 4 main forms of severity, on the basis of which the most optimal and fast-acting method of treatment is selected. The following types of retinal injury are distinguished:

Mild – a slight burning sensation and discomfort, redness of the retina, blurred vision.
Medium – accompanied by increased photosensitivity, intense pain, and the formation of a film coating on the conjunctiva.
Severe – the eyes and the skin around them become swollen and red, the victim feels intense pain and burning, and the quality of his vision is greatly deteriorated.
Very severe – characterized by colorlessness of the cornea, development of blindness, and tissue death.

The extreme degree of electroophthalmia is accompanied by pain of such intensity that the victim simply cannot open his eyelids. The most common outcome of this grade is complete blindness and necrosis of the ocular cornea.

Traditional medicine as a method of getting rid of bunnies

Bunnies that are caught while welding are a side effect of a minor burn, and minor burns, in turn, can be easily treated with folk remedies. To relieve discomfort, relieve pain and soothe your eyes at home, the methods described below are perfect.

List of traditional medicines that will relieve some symptoms:

Comment from a medical professional: If the tea leaves are chamomile, then there is some kind of antiseptic effect. Everything else - cabbage, potatoes - can be applied, or not applied, it will not give any results, due to cooling, a “distraction” occurs. If it hurts a lot, you can drip an anesthetic, the same lidocaine, if there is no allergy, and vasoconstrictors, the same Visine, if the inflammation is severe, then you can drip albucid.

Tea brewing. A simple method accessible to everyone. Relieves swelling and irritation. Tea bags are filled with hot water and left until the temperature of the compress is optimal. Then the bags need to be squeezed out a little. They are now ready for use. Place it on your eyes and wait for 5-6 minutes. To repeat the procedure, the bags are washed or replaced.
Chamomile lotions. There are always bags of chamomile at the pharmacy. Compresses from it will serve as an anti-inflammatory and soothing drug. Pour boiling water over chamomile and leave for 10-15 minutes. Apply the infused lotions to the eyes for 5 minutes.

Potato mask. It relieves swelling and pain well. To prepare the mask, cut the potatoes in half and apply to your eyes. Yes, that's all. There is also a second way to make this mask. First, grate the peeled potatoes. Then place this paste on gauze and you can apply it.

The potato mask should be kept for about 30 minutes. The healing properties of this lotion have been appreciated by many generations of welders.

Cabbage mask. Has the same properties as the potato mask. Fresh cabbage is crushed to a porridge state, then this mixture is placed in gauze and on the eyes. Keep for 10-15 minutes.

Folk remedies and methods will help get rid of bunnies and pain. However, if your eyes are damaged, it is always recommended to immediately contact a specialist. Take care of your health now.

When to see a doctor

In case of sharp spasms that do not disappear for more than 72 hours, rapid deterioration of vision, or the inability to fully look at a source of bright light, it is not recommended to self-medicate, you should consult an ophthalmologist. This will prevent the severe consequences of electroophthalmia from developing.

Any deterioration in the victim’s well-being after first aid measures and the use of medications is a serious reason for an urgent visit to an ophthalmologist.

First aid for eye burns

Let's consider what to do first in a situation if you caught bunnies from welding. The rules for providing first aid for eye burns should be known to everyone who deals with welding work.

Stop welding and rinse your face and eyes with clean drinking water. If you have potassium permanganate, tea leaves or chamomile on hand, you can do this with a weak solution of the listed remedies;
To relieve pain and swelling, you can use special drops, such as Visine or Visoptin. Removing swelling will allow the tissues to regenerate faster, reducing the feeling of itching and pain in the eyes. It is important to remember that these medications should not be abused!
To relieve discomfort during the tissue healing process, you can use traditional methods, such as compresses from raw potatoes, tea leaves, oak bark, etc. For mild degrees of eye burns, these methods are very effective and, most importantly, completely safe.

It is also important to know what to avoid if you get a welding burn to your eyes:

Rub your eyes, as this will increase tissue swelling and pain in the eyes;
Stay in bright light and continue welding. It is necessary to wait until the eyes are completely healed;
Do not self-medicate by using medications without consulting a specialist;
Use running water to wash your eyes; the impurities it contains will aggravate eye soreness.

Prevention

Burns to the eye cornea as a result of electric welding can be prevented if maximum attention is paid to compliance with the most important personal safety rules. When using a welding machine, be sure to wear properly selected safety glasses or a mask.

All work equipment must be in good working order and thoroughly checked. It is under no circumstances recommended for strangers to look at welding work, as this can cause burns. Welders should take breaks and give their vision proper rest.

Home treatments

In case of mild eye damage from welding, treatment can be carried out at home using improvised means that everyone can find. Here are the recipes that are most popular among experienced welders:

Brew tea bags and cool to a temperature comfortable for the eyes. Leave the compress for up to 20 minutes, after which you can apply new bags. This method constricts blood vessels well and minimizes swelling;
Raw potatoes are grated to a pulp and placed in cheesecloth. The compress is applied for half an hour. Gives a feeling of coolness, removes swelling;
Stir honey in boiled water, soak cotton pads in this solution and apply to eyes for half an hour. This method allows you to remove redness from the eyes;
Chamomile in the form of an infusion is applied as a compress to swollen eyes. Chamomile eliminates inflammation well;
Honey and aloe in the form of leaf juice are mixed and dropped drop by drop in the morning and evening into sore eyes. This method works great for eye inflammation;
Fresh cabbage is ground into a paste and applied to the eyelids. It relieves pain and swelling from the eyes well.

Let's add a few more tips for treatment at home:

Cover the windows with dark curtains, avoid bright light sources that will irritate sore eyes;
If a patient catches welding bunnies, it is better to stay in bed and rest, this will speed up the recovery process;
If pain in the eyes prevents you from falling asleep, then you can take traditional painkillers such as Analgin or Ketanov.

And of course, you need to take a good break from work, for example, go fishing.

Duration of treatment

The appearance of bunnies after unprotected welding should be expected within a few hours. As a rule, painful sensations appear progressively and reach a peak 7-12 hours after welding.

Depending on the extent of eye damage, pain may persist for up to a week or more. At this time, the eyes will water and react painfully to bright light. This will be especially noticeable in the evening and at night, as fatigue throughout the day will take its toll.

It wouldn’t hurt to see a specialist and, if you need to continue welding for work, take sick leave, since welding with sore eyes will only delay your recovery.

Symptom from a medical point of view

“Bunnies” are a manifestation of electrophthalmia, which occurs due to exposure of the organs of vision to strong ultraviolet radiation, which can damage the retina, mucous membrane, cornea and other elements of the eye .

Important! In the first few minutes and sometimes hours, the consequences of such a burn may not appear, but subsequently the victim experiences a number of symptoms that may vary depending on the extent of the injury.

In ophthalmology, electrophthalmia is divided into four degrees :

First degree . Redness of the conjunctival membrane is observed, increased lacrimation and slight pain appear, the cornea in some cases becomes slightly cloudy.
Second degree . Ulcerations and erosions form on the cornea, opacities become more noticeable, and a film forms on the conjunctival membrane, which is easily separated over time.
Third degree . The cornea becomes so cloudy that it becomes opaque. Signs of necrosis appear on the tissues of the eye and on the skin around the organs of vision, and the films formed on the conjunctiva are separated with difficulty or not at all.
Fourth degree . Maximum clouding of the cornea is observed, which becomes completely opaque. Irreversible necrotic processes occur, affecting the conjunctiva and deep tissues of the eye.

We can talk about a favorable outcome in the first two degrees, and in these cases, sometimes treatment with folk remedies at home is sufficient, although it is still worth seeing a qualified specialist.

What is electroophthalmia

Welding bunnies are a common phenomenon encountered by both beginners and professional welders. Such a high level of illumination, as from welding, is typical only with prolonged exposure to direct sunlight on the organs of vision. But few people will deliberately look at the sun for so long without eye protection.

Therefore, retinal burns from the sun practically do not occur. Welders have to constantly look at bright lights, so even if you wear protective equipment at all times, there is still a risk of eye damage.

Let's sum it up

“Catching a bunny” when welding is not difficult. Sometimes this happens even to experienced welders. It is important to competently give yourself first aid in case of eye damage and then follow our recommendations for eye care.

Experienced welders know many folk remedies for “bunnies” in the eyes. These include potatoes, tea leaves, honey and other available products. Medications (in particular, eye drops) are also popular. But every welder will confidently name the best way to protect your eyes - a high-quality mask or glasses that will not allow the bright light of welding to damage your eyes.

Using eye drops

For the first three degrees of electrophthalmia, ophthalmic instillation solutions can be prescribed for treatment:

vasoconstrictor and anti-inflammatory drugs Visoptin and Vizin, which are instilled three times a day, but not longer than three days;
anti-inflammatory drugs indomethacin and nimesil - such drugs help relieve pain and reduce inflammation;
antibiotic drops (tobramycin, gentamicin), which promote disinfection and enhance the regenerative properties of affected tissues (for a week, such drops are used six times a day, one drop in each eye);
anesthetics (tetracaine, lidocaine), which quickly relieve pain and irritation.

Such drugs can only be prescribed by a specialist after examining the victim’s eyes and assessing the severity of the burns.

Possible consequences

In case of serious welding burns and lack of adequate treatment and first aid, the following complications may develop:

disruption of the shape of the lens and cornea , which leads to astigmatism;
irreversible corneal opacities;
corneal erosions and ulcerations;
decreased visual acuity;
with severe burns of the cornea - complete loss of vision .