Eye Injuries 4th of July

Dr. Kisling Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Approximately 6,000 eye injuries will occur this 4th of July from fireworks. Like most questionable activities, testosterone seems to yield a high prevalence of these injuries occurring in young male teenagers. Unfortunately, teenage girls frequently are in the immediate vicinity opf teenage boys for unknown reasons,and they often suffer collateral damage. Firecrackers, bottle rockets, rockets, and roman candles are frequnet offenders.

Younger children are often given sparklers as they appear so innocent and don’t explode. Sparklers give off extremely high levels of heat and dislodged particles or the sparkler can cause serious burns to the delicate eye tissue.

Fireworks can damage eyes by thermal burns, projectile impacts, and by lodging caustic chemicals into the tissues or inside the eye if they cause a perforating injury. Blindness can and does occur from fireworks every year.

Unfortuane;ty, adults often mix alcohol and fireworks together with family members around. This is a formula for eye disasters.

Carefully consdier your palns for the 4th and safety precasutions. Fireworks can be very safe when handled in the appropriate manner when you know what you are doing and follow strict safety practices. Of course if you live in Colorado that means you need to go watch someone else shoot off fireworks at the park or spend the day in Wyoming-just make sure you don’t bring any fireworks back with you at the end of the day!

Also, don’t make the mistake they do in Los Angeles every year. A bullet shot straight up may be ok but at an angle the velocity falling back to earth can be lethal several miles away. Leave the guns at home for the 4th of July.

Relax instead and ponder the freedom we enjoy and the sacrifices our military youth are making so we can continue to live in the land of the free,

Happy Independence Day!

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