10.03.2005

Ever had a flash burn?

My high school welding instructor, who is long past this world now, used to describe them as "tater burns" on your eye. "You look at a live arc, I don't care how tough you think you are," he told us once, "and you'll be crying home to mama." I took him seriously and was happy never to get a flash burn, or welder's flash, as others call it. That paranoia has paid off for a while now -- to date I have never got one.

In a flash burn due to welder exposure, your corneas can get damaged by the ultraviolet light. It hurts, I'm told, a kind of subtle, always-there pain that takes 3 days to a week to go away. It takes about 6 or 8 hours to appear once you've been exposed. You can also get it from reflected light off water, snow, or even from sand. Long term damage is rare.

If it happens, the experts tell us to bathe eyes, both of em, with cold water. Lightly dress them with nonfluffy, clean materials (gauze would be good), and seek medical help if you aren't sure you've done it right.

Synonyms, Key Words, and Related Terms: actinic keratitis, snow blindness, flash burn, welder's flash, arc eye.

If you want the full scoop on welder's eye, read this article...

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