07/01/2025
Remember to celebrate the 4th of July safely this year by keeping in mind the risks associated with fireworks!
Fourth of July is coming up, which means we are in the midst of fireworks season. We would like to remind our community that extreme caution should be practiced while observing, and especially while handling, fireworks. On average every year, over 8,500 emergency department visits are due to fireworks injuries, with 1,200 of those being eye injuries. 65% of fireworks injuries affect bystanders and observers.
This is an issue near and dear to our optometrists, and it is actually the reason why Dr. Isabel King became an optometrist. At 12 years old, Isabel suffered an eye injury from a malfunctioning firework that she was watching from a safe distance. That led to complete loss of vision in one eye and was her introduction to the world of eyecare. The picture below is the prosthetic, called a scleral shell, that she has had to wear in her left eye since the injury.
To prevent injury:
-Never allow children to ignite or play with fireworks
-Never handle lit fireworks or attempt to re-light a firework
-Light fireworks on a flat, open space one at a time and move away quickly