American Academy of Ophthalmology Urges Safe Celebrations This Fourth of July.

Eye M.D.s Offer Tips for Fireworks Safety

SAN FRANCISCO -- 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.