Saturday, July 4, 2015

Despite Warnings, Eye Injuries from Fireworks Increase

"Thousands of Americans will be preparing to launch fireworks into the sky this weekend to celebrate the nation's birthday on the Fourth of July. However, a new report shows that firework-related injury rates remain high, with eye injuries having more than doubled in the past 3 years," notes Medical News Today. "The report estimates that there were 10,500 firework-related injuries last year. In contrast, there were an estimated firework-related 8,700 injuries in 2012. The report found that a total of 1,300 eye injuries were treated in emergency rooms last year; around 100 more than 2013 and more than double the 600 reported in 2012. It appears that many people may not fully understand the dangers of fireworks. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in San Francisco, only 10% of adults in the US wear eye protection when using fireworks. In contrast, three times this number wear eye protection when participating in other activities such as house cleaning or home repair." Read more.

Here's how USAToday reported the story: "In the past three years, eye injuries caused by fireworks have more than doubled, according to the annual fireworks injury report issued last Friday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Emergency rooms treated 1,300 eye injuries caused by fireworks over a one-month period in 2014 compared to 600 eye injuries over the same time frame in 2011. Firework fragments can shoot outward and hit the eye, causing tears, lacerations and injuries that can ultimately cause blindness, according to Philip R. Rizzuto, an ophthalmologist and clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology." Read more.

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