Like Harry mentioned its called sand-eye, you will wake up with crap around your eye, and it will be itchy. Its temporary.
see a doctor
You have what is commonly known as Flashburn. It does indeed feel like sandpaper in your eyes. In the future, always wear safety glasses (tinted to #4) when welding or firewatching. Visine helps ease the burn.
You will be okay. Although it is not good to gas weld without a welder's mask, the real risk is from arc welders because of the very high UV light output. Your casual exposure to gas welding (not MIG/TIG) is no risk at all.
My father watched an arc welder for about half an hour when he was a boy and he lost several nights of sleep due to sunburned corneas, but recovered completely.
Not really anything to be worried about. I am in a welding college and the one thing my instructor tells us is that the worst feeling for the eyes when waking up in the morning is that your eyes will feel like sandpaper is in your eye lids.
Blindness is the next worst thing.
But in your case of being flashed is something resting can fix. After a week or so if your eyes do not recover. Then you may want to get your eyes checked out.
I take it you were not literally stood there staring at the light for ages so unless you can see sunspots in your eyes you will be ok but it can be extremely painful almost like sand in your eyes so yes you have damaged your eyes although they should recover nicely.
Its Arc welding you need to be careful of as one flash of that can easily blind you forever. Always look after your eyes properly and make sure your welding with the correct filters in the mask your using.
see a doctor as he said. Your eye could of been burned by the immence light
If you feel burning and itching in your eyes, drip potato juice in them.
So in my school shop class, we have a a small area where we work, and there are welders going off all over the place, and there isnt really anywhere you can look without staring at one. I woke up today and my left eye hurt when i moved it, and it feels, just weird. the right is fine. i was checking the wire speed on the welder, also, and the light went off for some reason, and i dont know if tht did it, or what did. all i know is tht im nervous tht my eyes are all messed up now. anyone know about this? we use gas welders, i dont know if tht has anything to do with it. I have never had this issue before.
