What to do if you have an eye burn from welding: treatment with drops and first aid

In medicine, the term “electro-ophthalmia” is used to refer to eye burns caused by welding. We are talking about powerful ultraviolet radiation emanating from a working welding machine, which, when directly exposed to the cornea, provokes a severe burn. If it was short-lived and first aid was provided in a timely manner, the symptoms of electroophthalmia completely disappear after a few days. Otherwise, the resulting injury can have much more serious consequences, including partial or complete blindness.

Causes

Welders whose work requires constant contact with ultraviolet radiation are more likely than others to suffer eye burns. Most of these injuries are caused by negligence and neglect of safety precautions. When carrying out welding work, be sure to wear a protective suit (mask, goggles, etc.), without which even a short glance at the burning electrode or the high temperature accompanying the process can seriously injure the cornea and retina.

Degrees

There are thermal and chemical burns to the eyes after welding. In the first case, we are talking about the harmful effects of high temperature, in the second - the chemicals used in the work process. The consequences of injury and treatment of burns depend on the degree of damage:

1st degree : redness of the eyelids and mucous membranes, slight clouding of the cornea, itching, burning.
2nd degree : acute pain, severe reaction to light, clouding of the cornea and the formation of erosions on it, the appearance of an easily detachable film on the conjunctiva.
3rd degree : swelling of the eyelids, constant aching pain, sharp deterioration of vision, a feeling of “sand” in the eyes, deep clouding of the cornea.
4th degree : opaque whitish cornea, severe pain that prevents you from fully opening your eyes, tissue death.

What to do when your eyes hurt from welding? For 1st and 2nd degree burns, it is sufficient to consult a doctor and further self-treatment at home, while 3rd and 4th degree burns require careful monitoring and long-term therapy, without which vision may not only deteriorate, but complete blindness may occur.

Light ophthalmia

Signs

Symptoms appear 6-8 hours after the burn.
This is acute pain in the eyes, lacrimation and blepharospasm (contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle, causing the eyelids to close or blink uncontrollably). The pupils are constricted and react sluggishly to light. The conjunctiva is red and swollen. Light ophthalmia is characterized by a sharp deterioration in vision. Sometimes it can drop to zero in a few seconds, while the victim sees nothing, only with difficulty distinguishing the outlines of objects. It almost always recovers over time, but this can take a long time.

Description

Under normal conditions, it is very difficult to get burned by light. The eyes are well adapted to prevent this from happening under natural conditions. In bright light, the eyelids reflexively shrink. However, with a burn, the decisive factor is not brightness, but intensity. So, the welding light is not very bright, but very intense, so the eyelids do not shrink when looking at it. And the eyes get burned.

Welding is not the only cause of photic ophthalmia. It can also occur when exposed to direct sunlight, so you cannot observe a solar eclipse without special glasses.

First aid

In order for light ophthalmia to pass without a trace on vision, measures to eliminate it must be taken as soon as possible. To do this, you need to make lotions with soda or just cold, clean water. And you need to see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of “light ophthalmia” is made on the basis of anamnesis, examination of the patient and ophthalmoscopy. With ophthalmoscopy at an early stage, the doctor sees swelling of the retina, and at a later stage - pinpoint yellowish foci of pigmentation.

Treatment

To treat light ophthalmia, lotions with soda or tannin, as well as drops with dicain and adrenaline are prescribed. If there is erosion, disinfectants are needed.

During and after treatment, it is recommended to wear glasses with protective filters. They can be removed only when the eyes can again respond normally to sunlight. After recovery, you should avoid direct sunlight, visible and infrared radiation in your eyes.

The prognosis is usually favorable, but if the damage is severe, vision may not be fully restored.

Prevention

To prevent light ophthalmia, you need to use special safety glasses. Those who, due to their occupation, can get a light burn, must have first aid equipment with them while working.

First aid for eye burns caused by welding

What to do if a person gets an eye burn after welding? First aid for such injuries involves:

taking a pain reliever (“Analgin”, “Spazmalgona”, etc.);
washing the eyes with plenty of boiled or filtered water;
a thorough inspection and careful removal of electrode particles that have fallen on the mucous membrane using a cotton swab or a clean handkerchief folded into a triangle;
applying a 10-minute cooling compress to the eyelids - cotton pads or pieces of cloth soaked in clean water;
transferring the victim to a dark room, where he must remain until the ambulance arrives.

For minor injuries, you can arrange a trip to the doctor on your own, but the patient must wear sunglasses before going outside. The main thing is to start acting at the first sign of a burn.

The sooner the victim’s condition can be alleviated, the less consequences the injury will have.

Strictly prohibited

When an eye burn occurs from welding, it is important not only to provide first aid correctly, but also to avoid serious mistakes that could worsen the victim’s condition. In this case it is dangerous:

rubbing your eyes, trying to cope with the feeling that something has got into them;
buy and use eye drops yourself;
Rinse injured eyes with tap water.

Read in a separate article: Burn of the eye mucosa after eyelash extensions: how and what to treat

Neglecting these recommendations may increase pain, inflammation and irritation of the mucous membrane. For example, many eye drops contain substances that should not come into contact with a burned cornea, just like impurities often found in tap water.

Drug treatment

How to treat an eye burn received while working with a welding machine? Therapy most often comes down to the use of a number of medications that are prescribed by a doctor after an initial examination. For such injuries it is necessary:

Painkillers (“Alcaine”, “Tetracaine”, etc.). Usually these are local anesthetics, the duration of use of which is determined by the degree of damage and the severity of pain.
Drugs with a vasoconstrictor effect (“Vizin”, “Visoptin”, “Proculin”). Their task is to reduce swelling, relieve itching, redness and inflammation.
Anti-inflammatory drugs (Nimesil, Diclofenac, etc.). Prescribed as powders or tablets for oral administration, they are designed to reduce pain, inflammation and reduce the risk of corneal clouding.
Local antibiotics (Levofloxacin, Gentamicin, Tobramycin). They prevent the development of infection and ensure successful healing of erosions resulting from a burn.

In addition to eye drops, for eye burns from welding, patients may be prescribed drugs that accelerate the process of regeneration of the cornea and conjunctiva. For example, Korneregel, which also effectively copes with bacterial, fungal and viral infections.

Only in some of the most severe cases, when drug treatment does not bring tangible results, does the patient require surgical intervention in the form of laser eye microsurgery.

How to give first aid

If a burn occurs on your body from welding, you need to know what to do first. This will help prevent unpleasant consequences, significantly alleviate the condition and reduce pain.

If the victim has received a welding burn, the tips below will help you figure out what to do to alleviate the condition and prevent complications:

The damaged area must be cooled with cool water.
Additionally, you can apply an ice compress to the burned area. Ice cubes can be wrapped in clean cotton cloth and then placed on the injured area.
Then the affected area must be disinfected with Chlorhexidine, a solution of potassium permanganate or Furacilin.
The burn is treated with a special spray with an anti-burn effect. Panthenol, Olazol, Bepanten and other drugs help well.
If deep and extensive damage is noted, then you should definitely call a doctor, otherwise complications and worsening of the condition may develop.

How to help with eye burns

If there is a burn to the face from welding, or more precisely to the eyes, then you need to figure out what to do first. In any case, you need to call a doctor, but while the ambulance is on the way, it is important to help the victim.

Main set of activities:

At the initial stage, you need to wash yourself well, paying special attention to your eyes, they need to be cleaned with drinking water. A weak solution of potassium permanganate, tea leaves, and chamomile-based decoction have a good effect.
Indoor windows should be covered with dark curtains, and it is better to take the victim to a place that is protected from bright light.
To eliminate pain, you can instill drops - Visin, Visoptin, Proculin. They must be instilled in a lying position, one drop is instilled into each eye.
Additionally, you need to take painkillers in tablets. Ketonal, Nimesil, Diclofenac help well.
Use a sterile damp cloth to remove metal particles and foreign bodies from the eyes.
Additionally, you can place a cotton cloth soaked in cool water over your eyes. This will reduce inflammation and alleviate the condition.
You can apply a little antiseptic ointment (Tetracycline ointment, Solcoseryl) to the conjunctival sac.

Important! Treating welding burns at home is possible for mild to moderate cases. In these cases, drops of Visine or Visotropin are instilled 3-4 times every day; the course should last for 4-5 days. For severe pain, lidocaine or Tetracaine is instilled into the eyes every 12 hours.

ethnoscience

It is possible to improve the condition of a patient with an eye burn after welding using alternative medicine recipes. Suitable for these purposes:

Compress made from raw potatoes. It needs to be washed, rubbed and applied to the inflamed eyelids, first wrapped in pieces of gauze.
Chamomile infusion. Prepared from 1 tbsp. l. herbs, poured a glass of boiling water for 10 minutes. Cotton swabs should be soaked in warm liquid and applied to sore eyes several times a day.
Eye drops made from honey and aloe. Aloe juice and liquid honey must be mixed in equal quantities and instilled 1 drop into each eye 2 times a day. The product copes well with inflammation, but it can only be used 24 hours after injury.

However, for all its effectiveness, not a single folk recipe can completely replace ready-made pharmaceutical drugs, so it is better to use them in combination to achieve a speedy recovery.

How to avoid getting burns when performing welding work

In order to avoid injury, it is necessary to adhere to safety rules during work and use personal protective equipment:

jacket and trousers made of thick fabric;
special leggings made from natural materials;
welder's shield, it will protect the face from radiation and thermal injuries, save the eyes from ultraviolet radiation; There are special shields with forced air supply, they are used in enclosed spaces.

Predictions and prevention

Whether the victim will be able to fully recover from an eye burn received during welding depends on the nature of the injury and the quality of medical care. Most often, the damage is minor, so proper treatment reduces its consequences to a minimum. However, gross neglect of safety precautions during welding work can seriously harm a person’s health or make him disabled, permanently depriving him of his vision. And even the slightest burn is easier to prevent than to completely cure.

The main thing to remember is the mandatory use of a protective suit (working clothing, gloves, mask and goggles) when working with a welding machine, which protects the body from the harmful effects of chemicals and high temperatures.

Author of the article: Elena Nikolaevna Sedova, specialist for the website glazalik.ru Share your experience and opinion in the comments.

Conclusion

Failure to follow simple rules can sometimes lead to the most terrible outcome. Always take safety precautions seriously, especially when welding. Even correctly performed first aid does not always bring good results. Through their own stupidity, many damage their vision, partially lose it or become completely blind.

A huge request to our readers: FOLLOW SAFETY RULES. Welding burns can be very dangerous, so you should seek immediate medical attention. Only an ophthalmologist will determine the type and extent of damage.

We hope you found it useful!