“As an ocular and orbital trauma surgeon, I have seen some disastrous fireworks-related injuries. I have treated patients from the ages of 6 to 76 with eye or orbit-related fireworks trauma,” said Jeremy Clark, MD, of and associate professor at the UofL School of Medicine. “I have even had to tell a volunteer firefighter that his vision and eye could not be saved as a result of injuries from a fireworks explosion.”

One common myth about fireworks is that “small is safe.” A sparkler can burn at nearly 2,000 degrees. That is nearly 10 times as hot as boiling water. Even poppers or snappers can cause damage to eyes, Clark said.

The has provided helpful tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe this fireworks season.

For those who attend professional fireworks displays or live in communities surrounding the shows:

• Respect safety barriers at fireworks shows and view fireworks from at least 500 feet away.
• Do not touch unexploded fireworks. Instead, immediately contact local fire or police departments to help.

For those who decide to purchase and use consumer fireworks in states where they are legal:

• Never let children play with any type of firework, including sparklers.
• People who handle fireworks should always wear protective eyewear that meets the parameters set by the American National Standards Institute.
• Leave the lighting of professional-grade fireworks to trained pyro technicians.

If you experience a fireworks-related eye injury:

• Seek medical attention immediately.
• Avoid rubbing or rinsing the eyes or applying pressure.
• Do not remove any object from the eye, apply ointments or take any pain medication before seeking medical help.

Clark urges parents and guardians to address fireworks safety with their children so they know the risk of blindness is real.

Download, print and share the safety guide .

Every year, Sidharth Puri, MD, a resident physician with the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, sees people in the hospital around the July 4^th holiday with eye injuries.

“Every year, fireworks-related injuries cause people to go to the operating room due to injury to the globe of the eye or eyeball,” Puri said.

“Fireworks are fun, but parents need to keep kids away from them. For adults, it’s important to wear eye protection and remember to hold fireworks away from your face and body. We really want everyone to always keep fireworks safety in mind.”

In 2016, the reported 11,100 injuries from fireworks were treated in hospital emergency rooms in the United States. While hands and fingers are the most frequently affected parts of the body, about 1,000 of these were eye injuries. Fireworks can cause eye damage through chemical or thermal burns and injuries to the eyeball, resulting in permanent vision loss.

Fireworks safety goes beyond Independence Day. Nearly 32 percent of injuries occur outside of the month surrounding the holiday.

“Even other times of year, remember to store fireworks out of reach or where kids cannot find them,” Puri said.

For safety, follow these rules:

• Do NOT let young children play with fireworks of any type, even sparklers.
• Always wear protective eyewear when handling fireworks and ensure that all bystanders are also wearing eye protection.
• Leave the lighting of professional-grade fireworks to trained pyrotechnicians.

“If something does happen, don’t be a hero,” Puri said. “Don’t just wash the eye and take aspirin. It is best to seek care immediately. These injuries are urgent and time is vision.”

In case of an eye injury from fireworks:

• Seek medical attention immediately
• Do not rub your eyes
• Do not rinse your eyes
• Do not apply pressure
• Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye
• Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen

Download, print and share the safety guide .

“You may have heard that you can do a lot of damage to your eyes when viewing an eclipse, and it’s true,” said Mark Mugavin, MD, MPH, of the UofL Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. “During an eclipse, our normal reflexes that protect us from sun damage, such as blinking and pupil constriction, are more relaxed because the sun’s light intensity is significantly reduced.”

During the August 21 total eclipse, the moon will directly block all or part of the sun for up to three hours and will be visible across the United States. The “Path of Totality,” in which the entire sun will be covered, cuts across the southwest corner of Kentucky, but does not include the Louisville area.

“At no point should solar filter glasses be removed when you are looking at the eclipse in Louisville,” said Patrick A. Scott OD, PhD, assistant professor in the UofL Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. “Although the sun may appear completely blocked, observers in Louisville will still be exposed to the sun’s harmful rays, which can cause damage to the eyelids, ocular surface and internal structures of the eye.”

Looking directly into the sun causes a condition known as “solar retinopathy.” The increased UV light exposure creates toxic-free radicals that damage the photoreceptors and specialized pigment of the eye. This damage can leave a person with a mild to moderate reduction in vision, as well as central blind spots. Those most at risk for solar retinopathy are younger people, those with an intraocular lens implanted after cataract surgery and patients who are on photosensitive drugs such as tetracycline and amiodarone. Even though the Louisville area will see approximately 96 percent of the sun blocked, the remaining 4 percent can cause damage.

“The UofL Department of Ophthalmology sees approximately 10 cases a year of patients with solar retinopathy from high intensity laser pointers or high intensity sunlight exposure, such as viewing an eclipse,” Mugavin said, adding that he expects more cases this summer from people viewing the eclipse without proper eye protection.

There is no treatment available for solar retinopathy so the best strategy is to avoid it.

To safely view the eclipse, use glasses with special purpose solar filters. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reviews the various “eclipse glasses” that are available. Approved glasses should meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard and be manufactured by a U.S. manufacturer.

Sidharth Puri, MD, a resident physician with UofL’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, was alarmed by the number of fireworks-related injuries he witnessed during his first weekend in the emergency room. He hopes to prevent injuries this year by making Louisville residents aware of the dangers posed by fireworks.

“These are not benign, safe, colorful toys. They are miniaturized explosions and they have to be treated with care. These injuries are preventable,” Puri said. “If we can reach one child or one family member and prevent a firework from going off too near their face and blinding them, that is our goal – to save at least one person’s vision.”

Puri offers the following safety tips:

• Do NOT let young children play with fireworks of any type, even sparklers.
• Always wear protective eyewear when handling fireworks and ensure that all bystanders are also wearing eye protection.
• Leave the lighting of professional-grade fireworks to trained pyrotechnicians.

If an eye injury from fireworks occurs:

• Seek medical attention immediately
• Do not rub your eyes
• Do not rinse your eyes
• Do not apply pressure
• Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye
• Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen

Download a printable PDF file of the eye safety guide .