Welding Flash Burn Eyes Home Treatment [12 Simple and Effective Ways]

If you have a welding flash burn (also called arc eye or welder’s flash), don’t panic. Most cases heal within one to two days, and a few simple, safe steps at home can ease the pain while the eye heals.

It usually starts hours after welding – often in the middle of the night. Your eyes burn, water and feel full of sand, and bright light is unbearable. This guide to safe arc eye treatment at home explains what to do right now, which popular “remedies” to avoid, and when you must see an eye doctor.

This article is general first-aid information, not medical advice. If you are worried about your eyes, see an eye doctor.

What is welder’s flash (arc eye)?

Welder’s flash is a painful injury to the clear front surface of the eye (the cornea) caused by ultraviolet (UV) light. Think of it as sunburn on the eye. Doctors call it photokeratitis. It is also known as arc eye, welding flash, flash burn and welder’s eye.

The welding arc gives off strong UV radiation that you cannot see. Looking at the arc, or even catching its reflection, without a proper filter can burn the surface cells of the cornea. It usually affects both eyes.

The cornea normally repairs itself without a scar. If the eye is rubbed, treated with unsafe home products or becomes infected, healing can take longer and complications are possible, which is why the warning signs above matter.

Symptoms of welding flash burn

Symptoms usually do not start straight away. They often begin around 6 to 12 hours after exposure, which is why many welders wake up at night with painful eyes. Stronger or longer exposure can bring symptoms on sooner. Common symptoms include:

• Pain, from mild to severe
• A gritty feeling, as if there is sand in the eyes
• Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
• Red, bloodshot eyes
• Watering eyes
• Blurred vision
• Swollen or twitching eyelids

How long does arc eye take to heal?

Most mild welding flash burns settle within one to two days with rest and the simple care below. If the pain or blurred vision is not clearly improving within 24 to 48 hours, or gets worse at any point, see an eye doctor.

What causes welding flash burn?

Any strong source of UV light can cause flash burn, but welding arcs are the most common. Typical causes are:

• Looking at a welding arc without a properly shaded helmet or filter
• Watching a colleague weld, or catching reflected arc light
• Lifting the helmet to check the weld while the arc is still on
• A damaged, cracked or wrong-shade filter lens
• Other UV sources: sunlight reflected off snow or water, sunlamps, a solar eclipse viewed without protection

Welding Flash Burn Eyes Home Treatment: 12 Safe Steps

The safe steps below can reduce pain and discomfort while the eye heals. They are meant for mild flash burns and do not replace an eye examination.

1. Get out of bright light

Stop welding, move indoors and rest in a dim or dark room. Bright light makes the pain and watering worse.

2. Take out contact lenses

If you wear contact lenses, remove them straight away and do not wear them again until your eyes have fully healed.

3. Cool compress over closed eyes

Dip a clean cloth or face towel in cold water, wring it out and lay it over your closed eyes for 10–15 minutes while lying down. Repeat as often as it helps.

4. Wrapped ice pack

An ice pack also helps, but always wrap it in a clean cloth and rest it gently on the closed eyelids for a few minutes at a time. Never put ice directly on the skin or the eye.

5. Lubricating eye drops (artificial tears)

Preservative-free artificial tears, available at any chemist without a prescription, ease the gritty, sandy feeling. Use a fresh, unopened bottle or single-use vials.

6. Pain relief tablets

Common pain relief tablets such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help. Check the pack for the correct dose and make sure the medicine is suitable for you; ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.

7. Do not rub your eyes

Rubbing can scratch the already damaged cornea and slow healing. Keep your hands away from your eyes.

8. Rest your eyes

Keep your eyes closed as much as you can and get a good night’s sleep. Avoid screens, reading and driving until your vision is clear again.

9. Wear sunglasses outdoors while you heal

If you have to go out while your eyes are healing, sunglasses that block UV-A and UV-B light reduce glare and protect the healing eye. Sunglasses are not welding protection – never weld or watch welding with sunglasses instead of a proper welding helmet or filter.

10. Do not put home products in your eyes

Milk, Vicks VapoRub or other menthol balms, oils, rose water, tea bags, potato, cucumber or banana pulp and home-made drops are not treatments for flash burn. They can irritate the injured cornea or carry germs that cause an infection. Stick to cool compresses and drops from a chemist or your doctor.

11. Do not use numbing (anaesthetic) eye drops at home

They stop the pain for a short time but delay healing and can damage the cornea when used again and again. Use antibiotic or other medicated drops only if a doctor prescribes them.

12. Know when to see a doctor

Most flash burns settle within one to two days. See an eye doctor, or go to the nearest emergency department, if the pain or blurred vision is not clearly better within 24 to 48 hours, if it gets worse, if you notice a discharge, if you lose any vision, or if you think a hot spark, metal particle or chemical got into your eye.

Which eye drops and tablets can I use for welding flash?

This is one of the most searched questions about arc eye, so here is a clear answer:

• Safe to buy without a prescription: preservative-free lubricating eye drops, also called artificial tears. They soothe the gritty feeling and can be used as often as needed.
• Pain tablets: common painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, taken exactly as the pack says, if they are suitable for you.
• Only if a doctor prescribes them: antibiotic drops or ointment, and any steroid drops. A doctor decides whether you need them after examining the eye.
• Never at home: numbing (anaesthetic) drops. They delay healing and can damage the cornea.

We do not list brand names, because the right medicine depends on your eye and your health. A pharmacist or eye doctor can advise you.

Is milk, potato or ice good for welding eyes?

Milk and potato: no. Putting milk, potato slices, cucumber, rose water or any other home product in or on the eye is a popular remedy, but it does not treat the burn and can carry germs into an already injured eye. Ice: only wrapped. A cloth-wrapped ice pack or a cold, damp cloth resting on the closed eyelids is safe and helps with pain – never put ice directly on the eye.

How to sleep with arc eye

Sleep is one of the best things for healing. Rest in a dark room, use lubricating drops before you lie down, lay a cool damp cloth over your closed eyes, and take a suitable pain tablet if needed. Try not to rub your eyes in your sleep. If you wake up and the pain is worse, or your vision has changed, see a doctor.

How a doctor checks for flash burn

An eye doctor will usually:

1. Examine the eye for damage and check your vision.
2. Use a numbing drop so the eye can be examined comfortably. These drops are for the clinic only – used regularly at home, they delay healing.
3. Use a harmless orange dye (fluorescein) that shows the damaged areas of the cornea under a blue light.

The doctor will also check that no metal particle or chemical is in the eye, which needs different treatment.

How to prevent welder’s flash next time

The best treatment is prevention:

• Always use a welding helmet with the correct filter shade for your process and current. Auto-darkening helmets switch to the dark shade the moment the arc strikes.
• Check the filter lens regularly and replace it if it is cracked, scratched or damaged.
• Wear safety glasses under the helmet to protect against sparks and grinding particles.
• Use welding screens or curtains so people working nearby are not exposed to the arc.
• Never lift the helmet while the arc is on, and don’t watch someone weld without protection.
• Remember: ordinary sunglasses do not protect against a welding arc.

Read more in our top 12 welding safety tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What should I do for flash burn eyes?

Rest in a dim room, remove contact lenses, lay a cold damp cloth over your closed eyes, use preservative-free lubricating drops and do not rub your eyes. See an eye doctor if there is no clear improvement within 24 to 48 hours, or straight away if vision is affected.

2. Does arc flash burn go away on its own?

Most mild flash burns heal on their own within one to two days. Avoiding rubbing and unsafe home remedies helps prevent infection and complications.

3. Which eye drops can I use for arc eye?

Preservative-free artificial tears (lubricating drops) from a chemist are safe to soothe the gritty feeling. Antibiotic or steroid drops should be used only if a doctor prescribes them, and numbing (anaesthetic) drops should not be used at home because they delay healing.

4. Is milk good for welding eyes?

No. Milk and other home products do not treat flash burn and can carry germs into the injured eye. Use a cold compress and lubricating drops instead.

5. When do welder’s flash symptoms start?

Usually several hours after exposure, often around 6 to 12 hours, which is why symptoms often appear at night.

6. Can welder’s flash cause permanent damage?

Most cases heal fully without lasting damage. Complications are uncommon but possible, especially with infection or repeated exposure, so see an eye doctor if symptoms do not improve or vision is affected.

Conclusion

These 12 safe steps help you get through a mild welding flash burn at home. They ease the pain while the eye heals; they do not replace an eye examination.

See an eye doctor if the pain or blurred vision is not clearly better within 24 to 48 hours, or straight away if it gets worse. And next time, protect your eyes with a properly shaded welding helmet. Spare a few moments to comment on the article to help us improve it further.

See also…

• Top 12 Welding Safety Tips To Overcome Welding Risks
• 7 Mistakes In MIG Welding And Their Prevention
• 5 Commonest MIG Welding Hazards And Their Prevention

References…

• Eyes – flash burns (Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government)
• Photokeratitis (American Academy of Ophthalmology)