New Delhi: People celebrate Diwali all over the world by lighting candles, bursting firecrackers. But, do you know firecrackers can cause serious eye injuries if not taken proper caution. Most of the eye injuries are caused by sparklers, tubri, chakra crackers, even bystanders are at the risk of getting affected.
The common ocular injuries one can face are- irritability, watering of eyes, corneal abrasions. Along with that, there can be retinal complications and open globe injury which can lead to potential blindness. A person can also face chemical injuries due to the presence of chemicals in the gunpowder.
Dr Dhruv Chauhan, Medical officer, Delhi govt hospital said, “Various ingredients in crackers including potassium perchlorate , Nitrate of Perlite powder, Magnesium aluminum-alloy powder can be toxic to general health if burst in large quantities by masses together and often in general leads to “Red eye syndrome” causing reddish and burning eyes along with itching.” “Often too young kids and asthmatic people or patients of respiratory issues are more prone to its effect and should be kept at a distance . Therefore it is advised to cover your eyes while bursting crackers with glasses or shield,” the doctor said.
Dr Neha Chowdhury, Ophthalmologist pointed out some common injuries reported during Diwali–
Bruise around the eye may cause due to bursting sparklers or smoke from firecrackers
Globe injury- Full thickness injury or injury to the globe without ocular wall rupture
Lamellar laceration, a person may face partial thickness wound around the eyewall
Laceration, full thickness injury of the eyewall
Irritated eyes- Redness or swelling are one of the common symptoms caused from bursting firecrackers
Dry eyes- Due to smoke from bursting firecrackers, a person can face symptom when eyes don’t produce enough tears
Penetrating injury and perforating injury- It’s an open globe injury with an entrance and exit wound.
How to protect eyes?
If your eyes are hit by foreign elements from firecrackers, hold the eyelids open and flush with water continuously
If your eyes are hit by a large object, first try to flush it with water. If it’s still stuck, please get checked with doctor immediately
For symptoms like increased swelling in eyelids, decreased vision, please report it to a doctor
For chemical injuries, try to flush your eyelids with water for half an hour. If it’s not helping you, seek assistance for a doctor immediately.
– Inputs shared by Dr Pankaj Banerjee, Ophthalmologist.
Dr Dhruv Chauhan, Medical officer, Delhi govt hospital said, “Various ingredients in crackers including potassium perchlorate , Nitrate of Perlite powder, Magnesium aluminum-alloy powder can be toxic to general health if burst in large quantities by masses together and often in general leads to “Red eye syndrome” causing reddish and burning eyes along with itching.” Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
