Topic: dredded arc eye anyone else have sensitive eyes?

[speedy gonzalais]

after having arc eye 4 times in the last 2 months I've decided to give up welding. it all started when I was in a hurry to get home after a very hard day, tired not thinking straight and in a world of my own, sweat running down my face I tacked a seal onto a car with no mask, like you do just looking the other way, well I was in that much of a daze I actually forgot to look away half the time, 3 days later I was hit with dredded arc eye, being self employed I could afford time off so I got myself an eye patch and the darkest shades I could find and worked In agony for 3 days a week after that I was welding with the mask and again a few days later in pain with arc eye again! now its got to the point were even if I walk past some one welding looking away I get it again, I'm thinking I must have sensitive eyes, well eye as its always in the left eye, anyone else seem to suffer from this problem? a friend was telling me the other day about him starting a job welding and how they showed him what to do and left him too it for 5 hours straight with no mask and he was only in pain for a day?

[srbakker]

Get it checked out.  It's probably just welders flash, but the keratitis it causes can do more damage too.  Also get on an anti inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen if you don't have heart, kidney or stomach problems - it should help the pain a lot.  Take them with food.

And that's your free medical advice for today. 

[Cqyqte]

With autodarkening welding helmets for $100 or less when on sale, I can't imagine why someone would weld without one.  Unless of course you were auditioning for a TV sitcom position as a socially challenged bike builder with an extreme case of self importance  .  You only get one set of eyes and frankly I wouldn't want to live if I lost them!!!

[LesterPiglet]

If you don't know already. Cold used teabags give some relief for arc-eye.

[trueblue]

If you don't know already. Cold used teabags give some relief for arc-eye.

+1, I have also used a product called Polytears, they work quite well for calming most eye irritations.

[superseven]

Interesting this came up.  I only weld once in a blue moon, but really dig my auto darkening helmet.  It is great, I find it helps a lot before this I would get sore eyes sometimes as at least once or twice I would get a arc before my mask was down.

I would get my eyes checked out and then if all is well try using a good auto darkening helmet.

All the best.

[speedy gonzalais]

I already have an auto darkening mask have had for the last 4 years, I always wear it like I sed I was tacking it in place 10 blobs of weld, sweat was running down my face I was in a hurry, I didn't use it so I could wipe the sweat from my eyes, the main question was about me walkin past some one that's welding catching a glimpse of it out the corner of my eye for a second before realising some one is welding and looking away then suffering from arc eye.

[trueblue]

Generally the more direct angle you are looking at the flash the less the injury will be.  All the bad welding flashes I have had have always been out of the corner of my eye.

[superseven]

I have read up a little on this and it is sort of like a retina sunburn.  So maybe it is something that is sensitive for sometime after exposure but will get less sensitive as time passes afterwards.

For now I would always wear sunglasses outside and do my best, as you stated with the patch to keep from getting further exposure.  But most importantly I would talk to a optometrist to get a proper eye exam, and further understanding.