Flash burns are an extreme and damaging form of the effect of suddenly being in the dark from a brightly lit environment. It is a condition that is experienced by people who have to expose themselves continuously to bright and intense light like a welding arc or halogen lights. The condition is manifested by teary eyes, a spasm in the eyelid that resembles a nervous tic, photophobia or extreme discomfort to the eyes when in the presence of light, a corneal inflammation, and constricted pupils that remain constricted for almost five days.
The diagnosis of flash burns is performed by a dye staining, which will reveal the corneal inflammation. The severe constriction of the pupil will also be a tell tale sign. Interestingly, the condition is akin to getting sunburn in your eyes and being over exposed to sunlight – ultraviolet light specifically is a causative factor. The treatment that your doctor will prescribe is the use of drops to dilate and relax the muscles of the eye, wearing an eye patch until the problem is solved, antibiotics as the corneal inflammation may cause bacteria to move in, and continuous visits to the doctor to monitor the progress of treatment.
Flash burns, being an inflammatory condition can also be cured by home remedies. However, before implementing any of these, it would be wise to take a few therapeutic steps first. The first step is to avoid light except very dim light. This would be necessary to avoid overloading your eyes with light and since one part of the treatment would involve the use of a dilator, you would have to stay away from light at all costs. Staying away from light ensures that the iris is completely at rest. Inflammation is generally well treated by a cooling application to the inflamed surface. The simplest way to do this is to place a cool cloth under an eye patch and use it for the next few days. Remember to avoid TV for the next few days as well, since there is no way you can cause any further stress to your eye. The herbal remedies that you should try out are the use of ginger to reduce inflammation and swelling. This can generally be added to the diet or drunk as ginger ale as well. At some point in the days of treatment, your tear glands may stop working so cutting an onion to induce lacrimation is useful.