Newswise — For this Fourth of July holiday, the American Academy of Ophthalmology urges families to attend public fireworks displays put on by professionals.
Decades of accidents teach us that consumer fireworks are dangerous " according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 9,000 fireworks-related injuries are seen in emergency rooms each year. Of these, nearly half are injuries to the head, nearly 30 percent of these injuries are to the eyes and one-fourth result in permanent vision loss or blindness.
The typical victim is young, children 15 years old or younger account for 50 percent of all fireworks eye injuries in the United States. The most dangerous type of firework is the bottle rocket, which flies erratically, causing bystander injuries.
Although illegal fireworks, bottle rockets and Roman candles account for the majority of injuries, seemingly harmless sparklers are also dangerous. For children under the age of five, sparklers " which can burn at nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit -- account for one-third of all fireworks injuries.
"The intense heat can burn not only skin, but also the eyes," said Stuart Dankner, MD, an Academy clinical correspondent. "I've treated several children who suffered corneal burns from sparklers. This type of ocular injury can lead to corneal scars and permanent vision loss."
The Academy urges observance of the following safety 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."¢ Adhere to 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.
"Attending professional fireworks displays, instead of using fireworks at home, is a safe way to honor our tradition of independence and our hopes for a healthy future," Dr. Dankner said.
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 http://www.aao.org.
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