American Academy of Ophthalmology & Vision Institute of Michigan Urge Use of Protective Eyewear for Fireworks

One-third of Americans polled say they, or someone they know, has been injured by fireworks
 
Vision Institute of Michigan
Vision Institute of Michigan
DETROIT - June 29, 2015 - PRLog -- As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, ophthalmologists – medical doctors who treat eye disease and conditions – are preparing for an influx of patients who are injured each year while playing with celebratory fireworks. To help reduce the number of potentially blinding injuries caused by these devices, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Vision Institute of Michigan and Dr. Mark Berkowitz are offering the public tips for safe celebrations. The Academy is also releasing a new animated public service announcement to help educate families about the dangers of playing with fireworks such as bottlerockets, firecrackers, sparklers and roman candles.

According to the latest U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission report on fireworks injuries, more than 11,000 injuries occurred in 2013, with 1 in 6 fireworks injuries damaging the eyes. The most severe eye injuries include ruptured eyeballs, chemical and thermal burns and corneal abrasions, all of which can permanently impact a person’s vision.

“We now keep an operating room open on call just to treat Fourth of July fireworks eye injuries, and unfortunately anticipate having to treat multiple ruptured globes as well as numerous thermal and chemical eye burns this year,” said Russell N. Van Gelder, M.D., Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and chairman of the ophthalmology department at the University of Washington. “Many if not all of these fireworks eye injuries could be prevented if people more carefully consider the life-changing risks they’re taking by playing with fireworks.”

“I have seen many incidents where people have been hurt setting off fireworks or even being a spectator at someone’s home and something went wrong, we really need to be aware and careful of these risks around the holiday,” says Dr. Mark Berkowitz.  “My best advice is to leave the fireworks and explosives up to the professionals and attend one of your local community firework displays where all the rules and safety measures are already in place for you and your family.”

Despite the dangers, an Academy fireworks survey of more than 2,000 adults nationwide conducted by Harris Poll in May 2015 shows that Americans are more vigilant about protecting their eyes when doing home repairs or routine housework than when handling consumer fireworks. Among the specific survey findings:

·      Many Americans report being injured or know people injured by fireworks: One-third of those polled have been injured or know someone that has been injured by fireworks, yet 1 in 5 still plan to use fireworks this July 4.

·      Almost three times as many people wear eye protection for housecleaning and home repair than for fireworks: Of those polled, 28 percent say they use eye protection such as goggles when cleaning with chemicals and 26 percent report wearing protective eyewear when doing home repairs such as plumbing or carpentry. Yet, only 10 percent say they wear protective eyewear when using fireworks, as recommended by the Academy.

·      Five times as many people say it’s OK to let kids play with sparklers/fireworks versus light candles: While only 11 percent say children age 5 to 10 should be allowed to light birthday candles, 54 percent say that it is OK for children that age to play with sparklers and other fireworks.

The Academy and The Vision Institute of Michigan are providing this information to encourage more Americans to take additional precautions to protect their eyes around fireworks, just as they would when engaged in other common activities that may pose a threat to their vision.

Fireworks Eye Safety Tips

The Academy and Dr. Mark Berkowitz of VIM recommend attending a professional display rather than using fireworks at home as this is the safest way to avoid injury. The guidance is the main focus of its new, fun and kid-friendly animated public service announcement.

Watch the new fireworks animation: “Fireworks: the Blinding Truth



Those who still choose to use consumer fireworks should never allow young children to handle them, including sparklers. People handling fireworks should always wear protective eyewear, as should those watching. They should also follow the fireworks laws for their location.

If an eye injury from fireworks occurs, seek medical attention immediately and follow these guidelines:

·      Do not rub, rinse or apply pressure to your eyes.

·      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.

To see more survey findings, visit the Academy’s Fireworks Survey Highlights page. For additional information about fireworks eye safety, visit www.geteyesmart.org/fireworks. Members of the news media who would like to speak with ophthalmologists or patients who have experienced fireworks injuries may contact Vision Institute PR Department Director, Sherrie Handrinos at 734-341-6859.

Learn more about how to protect your eyes from the sun at the Academy’s public information website, www.geteyesmart.org. or www.VisionInstituteofMichigan.com

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Annual Fireworks Report (http://www.cpsc.gov/Global/Research-and-Statistics/Injury-Statistics/Fuel-Lighters-and-Fireworks/2013FireworksReport.pdf), released 2014

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Page Updated Last on: Jun 29, 2015



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