What to do if the eye burns with welding?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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What to do if the eye burns with welding, what help is there to provide the patient and do I need to call for medical help? Let's look at all these questions and find out how to properly provide first aid to the victims of eye burn welding.
During operation of the welding machine, an electric arc arises, which is the source of strong ultraviolet radiation. Such radiation strongly affects the mucous membrane of the eyes, provoking severe burns. Mucous eyes are very sensitive and burns on it cause severe pain and inflammation.
Everyone who, at least once in his life, held a welding machine in his hands and worked for him, faced the problem of eye burn from welding work. The burn, obtained during the work with the welding apparatus, is called electro-ophthalmia. Electroopthalmia occurs when the eye is burned with ultraviolet radiation.
Causes of eye burn injury
- Non-compliance with safety regulations when working with a welding machine.
- Ultraviolet and infrared radiation.
- Effects of smoke on the eyes.
- Contact with the surrounding atmosphere of gas formations that damage the eyes.
- Particles of red-hot metal fall and damage unprotected eyes.
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Symptoms of eye burn with welding
- Copious lacrimation.
- Stitching pain.
- Eyes turn red.
- The eyelids swell.
- Sharp pain in the movement of eyeballs.
- Sensations of sand under the eyelids.
- Photophobia.
- Blepharospasm.
If a person still got an eye burn with welding, painful symptoms of the lesion build up within a few hours. If, upon receipt of a burn, the retina of the eyes is not affected, vision returns to normal within 1-3 days. In any case, when getting a burn, you need to contact a doctor or an injury point, to get qualified medical help and determine the severity of the burn, recommendations for treatment or further hospitalization.
What to do if you burn your eyes, and what is better to abstain from? First of all, you can not rub eyes, since the sensation of "sand" is associated not with the ingress of an alien object into the eye, but with the inflammation of the mucosa due to a burn. Rubbing the eyes will only increase soreness and inflammation.
In case of burns, eye drops should not be applied without the appointment of a specialist. Many eye drops contain an irritating mucous substance that does not have any healing effect on the burn, but only aggravates the situation.
Also, washing with running water of the eyes does not lead to relief, since the mucous membrane burn is not thermal (in which cooling of the affected area is shown), and the microelements (chlorine, calcium, etc.) contained in water will lead to increased irritation.
Immediately after the burn, you can not bury tea tea leaves, aloe juice, honey solutions in the eyes, experts recommend resorting to such alternative methods after the acute manifestations of a burn abate.
When burn mucous, you need to use vasoconstrictive drops for the eyes, which will help to reduce swelling and inflammation (vizin, prokulin), antibacterial preparations for the eyes, preventing the development of infection, accelerating healing (tobrex, gentomycin, etc.), painkillers for instillation into the eyes, which will help to remove itching, soreness (tetracaine, ice breaker, etc.). Burying is necessary 2-3 times a day, depending on the drug and prescription of the doctor. The course of treatment is usually 2-3 days.
You can also use tablets or powders to anesthetize, relieve inflammation and prevent corneal opacity (diclofenac, indomethacin).
First aid for eye burn with welding
First of all you need to wash your eyes. They can be washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, which will help to remove inflammation and dull the pain. Also, the eyes can be washed with a solution of chamomile or tea brew. It is recommended to keep your eyes closed, because when you hit the light on your eyes, a person feels a sharp pain. Be sure to call an ambulance.
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Treatment of eye burn with welding
To recover and restore the function of vision, most often prescribed antihistamines: Tavigil, Suprastin, Dexamethasone. To anesthetize and relieve inflammation from the eyes appoint: Analgin, Dexalgin, Diclofenac. Most often, in order to remove the resulting eye burn, use the treatment with eye drops, special ointments. The patient should be placed in a room with darkened windows, in order to avoid getting sunlight on the eyes. If the patient needs to go out into the world, it is recommended to use special glasses with a light filter.