- Arc eye
DiseaseDisorder infobox
Name = Arc eye
Latin = Photokeratitis
ICD10 = ICD10|H|16|1|h|15
ICD9 = ICD9|370.24Arc eye, also known as welder's flash, bake eyes, corneal flash burns, or flash burns, is a painful ocular condition sometimes experienced by
welder s who have failed to use adequate eye protection. It is also referred to as arc flash, though this can also refer to an electrical explosion. It can also occur due to usingtanning beds without proper eyewear, excessive sun exposure, light reflected fromsnow (known assnow blindness ),water orsand . The intenseultraviolet light absorbed by the eye causes a superficial and painfulkeratitis .Symptoms tend to occur a number of hours after exposure and typically resolve spontaneously within 36 hours. The sensation has been described as having sand poured into the eyes.
Although it is possible for defects in specific types of industrial lighting to cause the same problem, this phenomenon cannot be caused by simple
over-illumination as commonly found in many factory and office environments.igns
*Intense
lacrimation
*Blepharospasm
*Photophobia [http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/cache/389349390.htm]
*Fluorescein dye staining will reveal corneal ulcers under blue light
*Constricted pupils note: this symptom may last as long as 96 to 128 hours in some cases.Management
* Instill topical
anaesthesia
* Inspect thecornea for any foreign body
* Patch the worse of the two eyes and prescribeanalgesia
* Topical antibiotics in the form of eye drops or eye ointment or both should be prescribed for prophylaxis against infection
* Cold wet tea bags placed over the eyes offer some relief.
* Carefully avoiding direct eye contact, applying vaporub above the cheekbones causes pain to spike, then fade almost completely in secondsExternal links
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