Emergencies >>>> For an eye burn - what is first aid?

For an eye burn - what is first aid?

One of the dangerous burns that can happen at home, at work or on the street is an eye burn, or more precisely, an eyeball burn. This type of burn can be caused by three reasons:

at high temperatures of objects or steam located in close proximity to the eyes;
when chemical reagents or chemical vapors enter the open eye (or eyes);
when open sources of infrared or ultraviolet radiation are located near the eye (radiation burn of the eye).

Thermal burns of the eyes are severe only if there is an open flame near the eyes. In other cases, thermal burns of the eyes are moderate or mild. This is explained by the reflex in which the eyelids instinctively close when the temperature is too high. But splashes of boiling water or a wave of steam can still cause significant injury to the eyeball.

In case of a thermal burn of the eye, the damaged eye is covered with a sterile bandage and taken to a medical facility as quickly as possible.

You can get a chemical burn of the eye in a completely unexpected way, for example, when working with liquid glues, solvents, garden reagents at home, as well as when working with chemical reagents in the conditions of a working production. Such chemical reagents can be crystalline, liquid and gaseous. Even splashes of ordinary table vinegar or vinegar essence can cause a rather severe burn of the eyeball.

In case of a chemical burn of the eye, the first thing to do is to find a source of clean water and thoroughly rinse the eye, not rubbing water into the eye, but pouring it over the eye, trying to wash the chemical out of the eye. Eye fluid (tears) plays the same role. For this reason, you should not hold back tears if a chemical or chemical vapor gets into the eye. The body itself tries to protect the eyeball from external irritants. Rinse the eyes with water for at least 15-20 minutes, and in the case of crystalline (powdered) substances - even more than 20 minutes. Then cover the eyes with a sterile bandage and immediately seek medical attention.

The most insidious eye burn is a burn from ultraviolet or infrared radiation. Such a burn is dangerous because a person does not feel the effect of these types of rays on the eyeball and can only assume that he received a burn from radiation based on signs of temporary visual impairment (for example, darkening in the eyes), sharp pain in the eyes and lacrimation. Radiation burns are not uncommon in everyday life (sunburn from looking at the Sun for a long time without glasses; the effect of open sources of ultraviolet or infrared radiation, such as lamps, lasers; looking at the flame of electric welding, blast furnaces or other smelting furnaces without a protective helmet or glasses). Infrared radiation causes particularly severe burns of the retina and blood vessels of the eye and a persistent loss of visual acuity. Over time, vision may deteriorate.

First aid for eye burns from ultraviolet or infrared radiation is:

moving into a dark room without any lighting;
cool eye patch and cold compresses up to and including seeking medical help;
When going out into illuminated spaces, you must wear well-shaded glasses.

To avoid eye burns, it is necessary to protect your eyes with glasses, a protective screen or a helmet in special, potentially dangerous situations.