Did not wear protective mask welding caused by eye disease

Recently, Master Xu of Jinhua Licheng District, accompanied by his wife, hurried to Jinhua Eye Hospital to see the emergency department.

Master Xu was a maintenance worker. When he was off work in the afternoon that afternoon, he discovered that a machine had a small problem and needed welding. The colleague reminded him to wear a protective mask. Mr. Xu disagreed and felt that it would be completed soon. It didn’t matter. He did not do any protective measures and started welding directly. At 10 o'clock in the evening, Master Xu shut down his TV and went to bed. Suddenly, his eyes were pained, fear of light, headache, conjunctival hyperemia and edema. Helplessly, his wife hurriedly accompany him to Jinhua Eye Hospital to see the emergency department.

Upon examination, the doctor confirmed that Xu master had electro-optic ophthalmia. This is an acute inflammation caused by absorption of a large amount of intense ultraviolet rays by the eye's corneal epithelial cells and conjunctiva.

According to Li Tian, ​​director of the inpatient department of the hospital, electro-optic ophthalmia, also known as UV eye injury, is an eye conjunctiva and corneal injury caused by excessive UV radiation. In the natural world, if the air is thin in the high mountains, the absorption and scattering of ultraviolet rays in the atmosphere is reduced. In the dazzling areas such as glaciers, snow, and deserts, the increased ultraviolet content of reflected light can cause eye damage. In the industry, when welding or gas welding is performed, since no protective glasses or protective masks are worn, the eyes are often damaged due to a large amount of ultraviolet rays injected into the arc during welding. After the eyes are exposed to UV rays, they usually develop 6 to 8 hours later. This period is called the incubation period. Because ultraviolet rays act on the cornea and the conjunctiva, after 6~8 hours, some epithelial cells cause necrosis and shedding. At this time, the symptoms are most serious. The first is foreign body sensation, followed by severe eye pain, high degree of eyelid, photophobia, tearing, and facial Burning sensation. The patient's face and eyelids were swollen, the conjunctiva was congested and edema, and the corneal epithelium of the palpebral fissure was a bit or flaky. The longer the UV exposure, the more epithelial shedding. Due to the shedding of the corneal epithelium, epithelial nerve endings are exposed, which is the cause of eye pain. The above symptoms can persist for 6 to 8 hours, then gradually reduce, and recover after 2 to 3 days.

Li Tian suggested that after the occurrence of electro-optic ophthalmia, you can use a towel soaked in cold water, close your eyes and rest, reduce the stimulation of light, minimize eyeball rotation and friction. Drop antibiotic eye drops, eye ointment to prevent infection, or use epidermal growth factor eye drops, artificial tear drops to promote corneal epithelium repair.

Li Tian reminded that most patients recover within 1 to 3 days after onset, generally do not cause permanent damage, but do not suffer multiple or prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays, so as not to cause chronic blepharitis.

China Labor Insurance Network