July 4th Fireworks Eye Safety Precautions

Taking some common precautions this July 4^th regarding fireworks eye safety can go a long way to preventing eye injury and potentially catastrophic vision loss. To enjoy the fireworks this July 4^th, it’s best to leave their use and display to professionals. Eye safety is pretty critical with fireworks displays as we know that eye injuries are the second most frequent injury we see from emergency room each July 4^th weekend. The best defense against kids suffering severe eye injuries and burns is to not let kids play with any fireworks. Do not purchase, use or store fireworks of any type. Protect yourself, your family and your friends by avoiding home use of fireworks and attend only authorized public fireworks displays conducted by licensed operators, but be aware that even professional displays can be dangerous.

If an eye accident does occur, there are a few things you should know:

·         Do not rub the eye.

·         Do not attempt to rinse out the eye. This can be even more damaging than rubbing.

·         Do not apply pressure to the eye itself-but protecting the eye from further contact with any item, including the person’s hand.

·         Do not stop for medicine! Over-the-counter pain relievers will not do much to relieve pain. Aspirin (should never be given to children) and ibuprofen can thin the blood, increasing bleeding. Take the person to the emergency room at once.

·         Do not apply ointments or drops. They may not be sterile and may make the area around the eye slippery and harder for the doctor to examine.

Once you are seen in the emergency room please feel free to have them call Northwest Indiana Eye &Laser Center at 866-522-3937 as we always have an eye doctor “on call” to provide consultation and continued care for you.

If you or someone you know has questions about fireworks eye safety and eye injuries please feel free to call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. 

Northwest Indiana Eye & LaserCenter offices are located at 522 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.