Eye trauma and injuries can cause vision loss or blindness, so protect your eyes by watching a professional fireworks display.

Fireworks Are a Common Cause of Summer Injuries

It is exciting to see explosions of bright colors in the night sky! Americans have been using fireworks to celebrate freedom since the first organized Independence Day celebration on July 4, 1777, in Philadelphia. Although firecrackers and sparklers play a major role in summer celebrations, they pose a critical risk to eye safety.

Fireworks cause thousands of injuries each year, and the majority of accidents occur from May to July. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, almost 300 people go to the emergency room each year due to fireworks-related eye injuries during the weeks surrounding July 4.

Hospital emergency rooms treated 10,200 fireworks injuries in 2022, and 73 percent happened around the Fourth of July. Burns were the most common injury, and 28 percent of all injuries were to children younger than 15.

Body parts most often injured:

• Fingers and hands (29 percent)
• Face, head and ears (19 percent)
• Legs (19 percent)
• Eyes (16 percent)
• Torso (12 percent)
• Arms (5 percent)

How Can Fireworks Damage the Eyes?

Fireworks can damage any part of the body, but the eye is susceptible to chemical, thermal or blast injuries. Injuries to the eye can range from minor scratches on the cornea and objects stuck in the conjunctiva to cuts on the eyelid, retinal detachment, broken eye socket and penetrating eye wounds. Explosives can also cause burns around the eyes, facial lacerations, fractures and scarring.

“Chemicals found within fireworks cause the amazing display of colors and explosions that we see during celebrations, but these can be harmful to the eye,” said Grayson W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, director of ophthalmology emergency services at Mass Eye and Ear and board member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma. “The eye needs to remain at a normal pH, and if there is acidic or basic material exposed to the eye, it can lead to chemical burns and sometimes long-term problems such as limbal stem cell deficiency, scarring, cataract, glaucoma and even retinal toxicity.”

Protect Your Vision and Prevent Ocular Damage

Fireworks may be legal, but it does not mean they are safe. Legally purchased fireworks can contain modified fuses, dangerous chemicals and unsafe levels of explosive materials. Explosives can misfire, ignite all at once or discharge in the opposite direction.

Watching a show in the crowd also poses some risk because 65 percent of fireworks injuries are to bystanders who were too close to the action. Many believe sparklers are safe for kids, but they can reach temperatures up to 2,000 degrees and result in over 600 injuries annually.

You can protect your eyes by following these safety tips:

• Attend a professional fireworks show.
• Purchase non-toxic glow sticks for children and grandchildren to wear during the show.
• View fireworks from at least 500 feet away.
• Do not touch unexploded fireworks.

Cataracts May Impede Your View of Colorful Fireworks

Do you miss the vivid pop of brilliant color you used to enjoy during fireworks displays? If you’re noticing colors don’t appear as bright as they used to, you may be developing cataracts, or a clouding of the eye lens. Having cataracts can affect your vision by making vivid hues look yellow or faded.

Cataracts are a normal part of the aging process. However, eye trauma or eye injury can also cause cataracts. Up to 65 percent of eye injuries lead to cataract formation and can cause short and long-term vision loss.

Traumatic cataracts can form quickly or develop slowly over time. Acute injuries like blunt or penetrating trauma, electric shock or chemical injuries can damage or rupture the lens, leading to partial or complete cataracts and blindness.

You should call your ophthalmologist right away if you experience symptoms of cataracts:

• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Seeing halos around lights
• Glare at night
• Fading or yellowing of colors

Cataract Surgery Can Restore Clear Vision and Your Ability to See Brilliant Color

Cataract surgery can restore most cataract-related vision problems. It is one of the safest and most common procedures, and has a success rate of 97 percent or higher when performed in appropriate settings.

Cataract surgery is usually an outpatient procedure and requires a short recovery period. It usually takes less than 30 minutes, and patients can return home after a few hours.

The surgeon will remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a customized artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). The incision is so small that stitches are rarely necessary. Most patients find they can resume their normal activities the following day.

Schedule a Comprehensive Eye Exam Before the End of the Year

All adults over 40 should have a comprehensive eye exam every year. During a vision examination, the optometrist will assess your visual acuity, check for any refractive errors and examine for all types of cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

Have you been putting off vision testing or an eye procedure? The second half of the year is a good time to schedule procedures because you may have already reached your deductible. Call your insurance company to find out how close you are to meeting your deductible and then call your eye doctor. Your eye procedure may cost less than you thought.