What are corneal flash burns?
• You may get a corneal flash burn when too much ultraviolet (UV) light shines on your cornea. Your cornea is a clear layer covering the front of your eyeball. A corneal flash burn is also called photokeratitis, snow blindness, arc eye, or welder’s flash. UV light comes from the sun and contains energy. It may also come from bright man-made lights and tools. Your cornea may get burned if UV light shines too brightly on your eye. • You cannot see rays of UV light. Often you will not realize that your eye has been burned for many hours. The signs and symptoms of your corneal flash burn may disappear on their own after a few days. With treatment, you may have less pain, redness, or swelling. Treatment may also help decrease your risk of having other eye diseases or permanent eye damage. What causes corneal flash burns? Anything that shines enough UV light may burn your cornea. Some causes of corneal flash burns include the following: • Sun: You may get a corneal flash burn when you look d
