Several thousand people suffer from eye injuries inflicted by fireworks each year in the US. Many cases have been known to cause permanent eye damage and a lifetime of impaired vision. The most severe cases have resulted in blindness.
Our goal at Dedham Ophthalmic Consultants and Surgeons is to ensure that our friends and family members enjoy a SAFE and happy 4th of July Holiday.
Here are some firework safety tips –
We highly advise that the best way to avoid a potentially blinding injury is to attend professional public fireworks rather than purchasing them for personal use. For those who attend professional fireworks displays and/or live in communities surrounding the shows:
- Respect safety barriers and view fireworks from at least 500 feet away.
- Do not touch unexploded fireworks; instead, immediately contact local fire or police departments to help.
For those who decide to purchase consumer fireworks because they live in states where they are legal, please do the following to prevent eye injuries:
- Never let young children play with fireworks of any type, even sparklers.
- People who handle fireworks should always wear protective eyewear that meets the parameters set by the American National Standards Institute and ensure that all bystanders are also wearing eye protection.
- Leave the lighting of professional-grade fireworks to trained pyrotechnicians.
What to do for a fireworks eye injury
If an eye injury from fireworks occurs, remember:
- Seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not rub your eyes.
- Do not rinse your eyes.
- Do not apply pressure.
- Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye.
- Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
