BUSINESS WIRE
Eye M.D.s Offer Tips for Fireworks Safety
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last Fourth of July, Pete(1), a 14 year old boy, was enjoying the lit-up
skies and loud booms from the fireworks being set off in his
neighborhood. Suddenly, the evening took a terrible turn. A bottle
rocket shot into his eye, immediately causing him terrible pain. His
family rushed him to the emergency room for treatment. As a result of
the injury, Pete developed glaucoma and cataracts. Today, Pete has
permanent vision loss in his injured eye because of his bottle rocket
injury.
June is Fireworks Eye Safety Awareness Month, and through its EyeSmart
campaign the American Academy of Ophthalmology wants to remind consumers
to leave fireworks to professionals. “There is
nothing worse than a Fourth of July celebration ruined by someone being
hit in the eye with a bottle rocket,” said Dr.
John C. Hagan, MD, clinical correspondent for the Academy, Editor of Missouri
Medicine and an ophthalmologist at Discover Vision Centers in Kansas
City. “A safe celebration means letting
trained professionals handle fireworks while you enjoy the show.”
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than
9,000 fireworks related injuries happen each year. Of these, nearly half
are head related injuries, with nearly 30 percent of these injuries to
the eye. One-fourth of fireworks eye injuries result in permanent vision
loss or blindness. Children are the most common victims of firework
abuse, with those fifteen years old or younger accounting for 50 percent
of fireworks eye injuries in the United States. Dr. Hagan estimates that
his practice sees more than 30 injuries each year from fireworks,
ranging from lacerations to the eye from fireworks blowing up too soon
to eye burns from sparklers.
“The most serious injuries are blunt trauma to
the eye from bottle rockets,” said Dr. Hagan.
The rockets fly erratically, often injuring bystanders. There are also
incidents from “bottle rocket battles,”
where teenagers unaware of the danger intentionally shoot bottle rockets
at one another. Injuries from bottle rockets can include eye lid
lacerations, corneal abrasions, traumatic cataract, retinal detachment,
optic nerve damage, rupture of the eyeball, eye muscle damage, and
complete blindness.
Even fireworks that many people consider safe represent a threat to the
eyes. For children under the age of five, apparently harmless sparklers
account for one-third of all fireworks injuries. Sparklers can burn at
nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
“A sparkler's intense heat can burn not only
skin, but also the eyes,” said Dr. Hagan.
"I've treated several children who suffered corneal burns from
sparklers, which cause deep scars and have lead to permanent vision loss.”
For a safe and healthy Independence Day celebration, the Academy urges
observance of the following tips:
-
Never let children play with fireworks of any type.
-
View fireworks from a safe distance: at least 500 feet away, or up to
a quarter of a mile for best viewing.
-
Respect safety barriers set up to allow pyrotechnicians to do their
jobs safely.
-
Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals.
-
Follow directives given by event ushers or public safety personnel.
-
If you find unexploded fireworks remains, do not touch them.
Immediately contact your local fire or police departments.
-
If you get an eye injury from a firework, seek medical help
immediately.
“Attending professional fireworks displays is
a much safer option than attempting to set them off at home and is a
great way for people of all ages to honor our tradition of independence,”
said Dr. Hagan.
You can find the names of eye M.D.s in your area by visiting www.GetEyeSmart.org.
(1) The name has been changed for privacy reasons.
About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association
of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with
more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the
three “O’s”
– opticians, optometrists and
ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat
it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an
Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.