Diwali crackers: Eye care precautions to be taken while bursting crackers 

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Authored by: Dr .Satya Prasad Balki,M.S F.C.A.S (AEH),Consultant ophthalmologist MaxiVision eye hospitals 

With our country achieving the fabulous milestone of a billion Covid shots administered,  waning Covid case numbers , a bull run in the stock markets, tourism picking up again, a general  sense of euphoria and relief ,one can only say that the festive season is truly upon us, and we can  expect it to be a -‘Dhamaka’ Diwali! 

Diwali is probably the biggest festival in our country and with the stress and toll that Covid put  us through last year, I am sure people want to spare no excuse in indulgence this time around  . Diwali is one of the busiest and stressful times for an eye doctor and for good reason, a kitchen  running overtime, lamps, lightings and fireworks-well there’s a recipe for disaster if there ever  was! While iam all in for the celebrations, I also would like my readers to exercise caution. 

Hazardous injuries to any part of our body are quite common and can range from mild to  severe burns, as an eye doctor I would like to draw your attention to the eye injuries that can  occur and safety precautions to be followed. 

Our body has an instinctive mechanism to close the eyes shut when it expects an injury but  sometimes its not adequate. If we look at the structure of the eye ,the outermost part Called the  cornea is transparent and allows light to enter the eye and give vision, it is similar a watch glass  and any kind of trauma to it usually leaves a permanent scar which results in diminished vision  . The eye is a round structure with an inherent pressure within it which keeps it in this shape, any  penetrating trauma seen in callous and close proximity to fireworks, causes rupture of these  tissues and often difficult to treat . 

Hot oil from the lamps or while cooking can fall in the eyes and cause scalding of the superficial  layers of the eye ,electrical burn injuries from faulty wiring and lights can cause thermal burn  injuries. Of all fireworks can cause the most damage, as they are akin to the effects of a blast  injury albeit on a smaller scale,Injuries to the eye vary from small foreign body to severe  penetrating injury requiring immediate surgical intervention. 

Here’s the first aid guide you can follow 

In mild cases as in hot oil or foreign body, Wash the eye thoroughly by splashing copious amount  of clean drinking water, alternately you can use a shallow cup of water close to the eye and blink  repeatedly. 

Consult your eye doctor to remove the foreign body and prescribe appropriate medications. In severe bleeding cases with direct impact to eyes with fireworks, wash eye with clean water,  cover the eye with clean cotton pad or towel, do not apply any pressure, and consult an eye  doctor immediately as it may require surgical intervention. 

Precautions to be taken-

• Use protective eye wear, maintain safe distance and keep utensils above waist level  while cooking. 

• While lighting fireworks, maintain a safe distance after lighting, use a face shield, easily  available nowadays thanks to Covid. 

• DO NOT handle live fireworks or fling them in the air. 

• Adult supervision is a must for Children around fireworks. 

• Always keep a bucket of water close by. 

• Motorists should be careful and wear a helmet as many people light fireworks on the  road . 

• Do not try to self-medicating and using readily available drops at home, give appropriate  first aid and consult your eye doctor. 

Conforming to the old adage ‘’prevention is better than cure’’ it is best to be cautious and avoid  such scenarios altogether. Health, wealth and happiness, wishing it all in abundance!! Wish you a safe and happy Diwali!