PROTECT EYES FROM THE FIREWORK RELATED INJURIES THIS 4TH OF JULY!

fireworks-eye-safety

The 4th of July in the United States of America is celebrated with parades, barbecues, fireworks, pool parties, and many more exciting activities also. The month of July is also surrounded by the display of beautiful and exciting fireworks. However, these fireworks were associated with a lot of injuries and even hospital emergencies also. The increase in the fireworks display also spikes the firework-related injuries.

Here are the most common injured body parts in firework-related injuries:

  1. Hands, Fingers
  2. Legs, Arms
  3. Eyes
  4. Face, Head

Eye injuries are one of the most common firework-related injuries as nearly 15% of firework injuries are eye injuries. Many examples such as rockets hitting the eye or debris getting in the eye from the fireworks are the reasons behind these eye injuries.

Here are some of the tips for protecting the eyes during fireworks.

  1. Always try to attend a professional firework display and maintain some distance from the fireworks show.
  2. Never leave children unsupervised to handle the fireworks.
  3. Always wear eye protection when handling fireworks.
  4. Do not try to ignite the fireworks indoors.
  5. Do not pick or ignite the firework that didn’t ignite the first time properly.
  6. Secure and store fireworks in a secure place.
  7. Keep a water source close to the fireworks place.

What to do when experiencing an eye injury-

In case an eye injury occurs during the fireworks, seek medical attention. You can take medical attention from the nearest optometry or any local doctor also as delayed treatment can worsen the eye injury.

What not do when you sustain an eye injury –

  1. Do not rub or rinse your eye.
  2. Do not apply pressure to your eye.
  3. Do not apply any rinses, eye drops, or ointments to the eye.
  4. Do not try to remove any object or debris from the eye.

That is the reason why it is highly recommended that fireworks should only be handled by pyrotechnic professionals. In case you are handling fireworks on your own, safety precautions should be followed for the safety of yourself and the bystanders near also. It means that bystanders are also at risk of firework-related injuries. The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission are spreading awareness about the firework-related injuries as well as organizing events for providing safety protocols about the handling of the fireworks.

According to the report by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

  1. About 15600 affected by firework-related injuries were treated in hospital room emergencies in 2020.
  2. The most common injured body parts were Hands and Fingers (30%), Head, Face, Ears (22%), and Eyes (15%).
  3. About 66% of fireworks-related injuries occur during the one month surrounding the 4th of July in 2020.
  4. Heat Burns were the most common fireworks-related injury.

Windy City Retina provides comprehensive and highest-quality eye care. They provide advanced and personalized eye care to patients using the latest technologies. Founded by Ankit Desai board-certified ophthalmologist from the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO), it provides medically accurate information about eyesight, eye conditions as well as eye diseases also.

We hope that you all have a fantastic time on the 4th of July!