Why is welding bad for your eyes

As a cataract develops, the iris and pupil will appear to become eclipsed by a whitish substance. Cataracts are protein buildups in your eye lens. It has been observed that UV waves contribute to cataract development, so when working with welding tools, protective eyewear is very important. Cataracts are relatively common, and many people develop them naturally as they age. If cataracts develop without correction, then it can eventually lead to blindness.

Damage caused to your eyes from welding, while painful, is rarely permanent. Flash burns tend to heal within three days at most, so long as they do not get infected. If your eyes do get infected, medical help will often be able to restore your vision to its former clarity. Moreover, while it is true that cataracts left untreated can eventually lead to blindness, cataract-induced blindness can often be corrected with surgery.

That said, it is of course still important that you treat your eyes properly to ensure minimal injury. Since UV waves are what poses the danger to your eyes, wearing safety glasses that have UV-protective lenses will greatly reduce the risk that you will injure your eyes when welding.

Anti-UV coated lenses usually prevent up to However, the best way to protect your eyes effectively is to purchase a welding mask. Wearing a welding mask is the easiest way to keep your eyes consistently safe. Some masks are better for certain jobs or people than others, so there are several factors to consider when purchasing one. Meeting ANSI standards is just one part of purchasing a welding mask, however. There are other factors to consider.

If you weld frequently and for long periods of time, a lighter mask will probably suit you better and be more comfortable in the long run. Mask lenses will average around 6 inches across. In the event of purchasing a replacement lens for your mask, be sure that the dimensions of your replacement will fit your mask. Passive lenses have UV- and IR- protective coating that allows you to weld safely. They are not ideal for every job, because the dark tint of the coating can make it difficult to keep track of your work.

Sanding, buffing, and notching pipe are also potentially hazardous for the same reason. Thousands of people every year are not just injured at work but blinded as well. Wear them at all times, even if takes a few minutes to rustle up your safety equipment. We strive to inspire and inform new welders through skill-based tutorials, comprehensive training guides, and in-depth gear reviews. Our passion for creative thinking and professional guidance will deliver a seamless welding experience for hobbyist and professionals alike.

Problems Caused by Ultraviolet and Infrared Radiation. Final Word. The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye, located in front of the iris and pupil the coloured ring and the black circle in the middle of your eye.

If you're wearing contact lenses, remove them wearing sunglasses can help reduce pain as it helps counteract bright lights. Close your eyes or wear a blindfold using moisturizing eye drops may help soothe the pain, over-the-counter painkillers are also useful. Symptoms may last for two days, or longer in rare cases. During this time, do not wear contacts and try to avoid exposing your eyes to further UV radiation.

If you are concerned about your vision, then seek out medical attention. An ophthalmologist a doctor that specializes in eye care can professionally assess the damage to your eyes and the most appropriate way to treat them.

It's common sense, but it bears mentioning that if you see spots or experiencing blurred vision, light sensitivity, or intense pain, you should find a friend or family member to drive you to the doctor rather than attempting to drive yourself. However, there are some times where an injury is simply unavoidable.

If you tend to weld often and for any reason can't use any protection on your eyes, then you are eventually going to suffer from Welder's Flash. When this happens, there are a few things that you can do in order for the soreness and pain to go away. One of these things is using eye drops. These can be over the counter or prescription, and they work by lubricating the eye, which in turn helps reduce pain and inflammation.

The prescription eye drops go a step further by dilating them and actually relaxing the eye muscles. This is considered the best eye drops for these kinds of injuries, but you need to consult with your doctor to prescribe them to you.

If you don't want to use eye drops, you could always use home remedies that many have found relief with. Every seasoned welder has a story of using tea bags or even aloe vera to treat the redness, and I have tried them myself! It really works, plus using home remedies has the added benefit of being less expensive and immediate relief should you have what you need on hand.

The home remedy that I most recommend that you use is tea bags. You are going to get a bag of black or green tea, and you are going to lay down and apply the tea bags to your eyes, just as if you are dealing with cucumbers.

The nutrients found in the tea will do a good job of soothing your eyes. This should be done every day before going to sleep for about one week. If you do so, you are going to notice that your eyes don't burn as much after a day or two.

While most welding-related eye injuries are reversible, with more than half of injured workers returning to work in less than two days and 95 percent in less than seven days, some eye injuries are irreversible and permanent visual impairment occurs. This is especially true with infrared and visible spectrum bright light radiation. Both can penetrate through to the retina and--although this is rare--can cause permanent retinal damage, including cataracts, diminished visual acuity, and higher sensitivity to light and glare.

And welders are not the only workers at risk. While the welding arc is the principal source of UVR, other workers in the area can sustain eye damage from the radiation as far as 50 feet away from UVR reflecting off shiny surfaces, concrete, or unpainted metals. To counteract this reflection, you should install shielding curtains that are practical or require that all workers in the area wear appropriate eye protection.

Beyond the immediate impact from radiation, welding also exposes workers to cumulative adverse effects that appear over time. A study in Denmark of welders showed yellow spots on the white part of the eye in 57 percent of the welders and degeneration of the thin membrane over the eyeball in 24 percent.

Researchers also found corneal scarring in about half of the subjects. Yet, even though the insidious damage radiation can cause, molten and cold metal particles striking the eye are still the most common sources of eye injuries.

This one is simple. Keep in mind that indirect exposure to a welding arc can be harmful too. So, even if you are standing some distance away from a person welding, your eyes will still be picking up some UV rays. Safety glasses with UV protection are the unsung hero of welding accessories. It took two days and nights, and nights are the worst, for my eyes to get better. However, if you received enough UV rays to actually burn your corneas, you just added another dose of UV rays to the total accumulation your eyes have received to date.

Just as our skin feels the burn after several hours in the sun, spending time under intense, unprotected exposure to UV radiation can cause a variety of short-term problems in our eyes. The short-term effects of UV eye damage may diminish but the cumulative UV exposure can yellow both the lens and the cornea, making it more difficult to discern contrast in our vision.

It can cause swelling and irritation as well as corneal problems that could affect vision. While the symptoms may be resolved with surgery, they may also re-grow later. Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over A cataract is defined as the progressive clouding of the lenses of the eyes.

Left untreated they are ranked globally as a primary cause of reversible blindness. As many as three million surgeries to remove cataracts are performed in the U. And according to Prevent Blindness America, more than 20 million Americans have cataracts.