Welding flash and sunburned eyes: what photokeratitis is

You watched a welder work for a few minutes without a shield. Or you spent the whole day out on a boat. Nothing hurt at the time. Then at ten that night your eyes feel full of sand, light is unbearable, and they will not stop tearing.

That delay is the signature. What you are dealing with is almost certainly photokeratitis, and the plain description is accurate: your eyes are sunburned.

What is actually happening

The cornea is the clear dome at the front of your eye. Its surface is covered by a thin layer of cells. Intense ultraviolet light damages that layer, and the cells begin to shed.

The cornea is one of the most densely innervated tissues in the body. When the surface layer is disrupted, those nerve endings are exposed. That is why the pain is out of proportion to how minor the injury looks.

The delay happens because the damage takes hours to develop into symptoms, typically six to twelve. People often go to bed fine and wake up unable to open their eyes.

Where it comes from in the Philippines

• Arc welding without a proper shield. The most common cause. It also affects bystanders, so watching someone else weld is enough. This is why it is nicknamed arc eye or welder's flash.
• A full day on the water. The sea reflects UV upward. Fishermen, boatmen and anyone on an island-hopping trip take a double dose, from above and from below.
• Long hours in open sun with no eye protection. Construction, farming, road work, outdoor sport.
• Sunlamps and unshielded UV equipment.

A cap is not protection here. Reflected light comes from below and from the sides, which a brim does nothing about.

What it feels like

Both eyes are usually affected, because both were exposed. Common experiences are severe grittiness as though sand is trapped under the lids, strong sensitivity to light, heavy tearing, redness, eyelid spasm, and blurred vision. Some people describe seeing halos.

The good news is that the corneal surface regenerates quickly. Mild cases typically settle within one to two days as the surface cells replace themselves. It usually leaves no lasting damage.

What not to do

Two things make it worse.

Do not rub your eyes. The surface is already compromised, and rubbing damages it further.

Do not put anything in your eyes that was not given to you by a professional. No leftover prescription drops, no borrowed antibiotic, no home remedy. A damaged corneal surface is more vulnerable to infection, and the wrong thing at the wrong time turns a self-limiting injury into a serious one.

Keep contact lenses out until you have been seen and told it is fine to resume.

When to get seen urgently

Photokeratitis usually resolves on its own, but the symptoms overlap with problems that do not. Get examined the same day if you have severe pain, vision that is getting worse rather than better, symptoms lasting beyond two days, discharge, or any possibility that something physically struck or entered your eye.

If a metal fragment or chemical was involved, that is an emergency. Go straight to a hospital, not to a retail store.

Prevention is the whole point

Photokeratitis is entirely preventable and the prevention is not complicated.

If you weld or work near welding, use the correct shield with the right shade rating for the process, and understand that everyone in the area needs protection, not just the person holding the torch. Ordinary sunglasses are not adequate for arc work.

For sun and water exposure, wear eyewear that genuinely blocks UV, in a shape that covers the sides. A dark lens with no UV filter is worse than nothing, because the darkness makes your pupils open wider while letting UV through.

Get your eyes checked, and get protected properly

Book a Vision7 eye test at your nearest Vision Express store. Our seven-step exam includes a visual health check of the external eye, so an optometrist can assess the surface, confirm whether anything else is going on, and refer you to an ophthalmologist the same day if that is what your eyes need.

For everyday UV protection with your prescription, ask for Essilor Transitions Classic HMC 1.56 at the counter. It darkens outdoors and clears indoors, so you are covered walking a site, riding home, or heading out on the water, without carrying a second pair. Ready in one to two days.

If you work in a rough environment and need the toughest option, ask the team about the most impact-resistant material available for your frame. It is worth the conversation in person, because the right answer depends on your prescription and the frame you choose. And for arc welding specifically, prescription eyewear is not a substitute for a rated welding shield.

Every pair includes free lifetime ultrasonic cleaning, free lifetime custom fitting and adjustment, and a one-year warranty.