Welding is a skill I've always admired, and I was thrilled when I finally started learning. But soon, I ran into a problem that many welders face: eye strain and discomfort after a session. It's a real buzzkill when you're trying to focus on your weld, but your eyes are screaming at you. I want to share my personal journey and what I've learned about protecting my eyes while welding. Hopefully, my experiences can help you avoid the same headaches (literally!). Protecting your eyes is paramount when you are welding.
I remember the first few times I welded, I was so excited to finally be doing it. I was careful to wear safety glasses, but after a while, my eyes started feeling strange. They felt dry, gritty, and overly sensitive to light. It was like a mild sunburn, but inside my eyes. I started to wonder if the safety glasses I was using were enough, or if there was something else going on. Was the protection not as good as it should be? I needed to figure this out, as repeated exposure would cause serious damage.
Determined to find a solution, I started experimenting with different approaches. Here's what I discovered:
I learned that the shade level of your welding helmet is crucial. I started using a shade 13 lens, and I immediately noticed a difference. When I used lower shades, my eyes felt funny, just like they had before. I realized my eyes might be more sensitive to light than others. If you're experiencing eye strain, try increasing the shade level of your welding helmet. It might just be the simple fix you need.
Someone mentioned that people with blue eyes might be more sensitive to light and should use a higher shade. I have blue eyes, and this resonated with me. It explained why I needed a darker shade than some other welders I knew. If you have lighter colored eyes, it’s worth considering a darker shade for better protection.
This was a big one! I discovered that reflected UV rays can also cause eye strain. I often wore lighter colored clothing while welding, not realizing it could be bouncing UV light back up towards my eyes. Now, I wear dark-colored clothing or use a curtain hanging down from the front of my hood to my chest. This has drastically reduced the amount of reflected UV light reaching my eyes, and it also helps to keep smoke from getting under my hood.
This might sound strange, but I realized I was unconsciously keeping my eyes wide open and blinking less when welding. It was like when I'm gaming and get so focused that I forget to blink. This leads to eyestrain and dry eye. Now, I make a conscious effort to blink regularly while welding. It sounds simple, but it makes a big difference.
In addition to the above, I also started paying closer attention to the tools I was using. I found that even small improvements in my gear could significantly reduce eye strain. For example, I was experiencing some eye fatigue even after addressing the shade and reflected light issues. I realized that part of the problem was that I was straining to see the weld clearly. I needed some help with magnification, but didn't want to wear clunky safety glasses over my regular glasses. I started exploring options for reading glasses that could offer both magnification and blue light protection. That's when I found homepage.
I decided to try the Reading Glasses Men Vintage Bridge Large Square Frame Hyperopia Glasses Women Ultralight Blue Light Computer Glasses +1.0~+4.0 +100-Black from Mozaer. These glasses have been a game-changer. They're lightweight, comfortable, and provide the magnification I need to see the weld clearly. The blue light protection is an added bonus, especially when I'm spending time looking at screens after welding. I chose these reading glasses because of the vintage look and ultralight design; they don't feel heavy on my face even after long hours. Now I can see the weld clearly and avoid straining my eyes. I've found that using the correct shade for my eyes combined with comfortable and effective reading glasses from Mozaer is the perfect combination for protecting my eyes when welding.
Here's a summary of the tips I've learned to help reduce eye strain while welding: