Saint Margaret Mercy eye doctor advises to leave fireworks to the professionals

MUNSTER--Decades of accidents teach us that fireworks are dangerous. Over 9,300 fireworks-related injuries occurred in 2003, resulting in nearly 2000 eye injuries.

The typical victim is a teenager, at home, unsupervised, with a group of friends. Playing with fireworks carries the risk that one of them will end up in the emergency room with an injury to the head, eyes or hands. Losing your sight or losing a finger is a tragic price to pay for a few minutes of fun with fireworks.
In an effort to reduce these preventable injuries, Eye physicians across America encourage families to attend local public fireworks displays instead of using fireworks at home this Fourth of July. This recommendation is made as part of Fireworks Eye Safety Month sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Attending a professional public fireworks display on the Fourth is a safe way to honor our tradition of independence.

"One of the reasons fireworks injuries continue to occur is because people don't understand how dangerous these devices can be. As many as 400 Americans lose vision in one or both eyes due to fireworks injuries," said ophthalmologist Rand Diab, MD, board certified/qualified in [ ] on staff with Saint Margaret Mercy’s department of Surgery. "In our practice we've seen too many young people blinded in one eye by playing with fireworks and other explosives. The risk of losing an eye is not worth the excitement of handling fireworks."

Although illegal fireworks such as bottle rockets and Roman candles account for the majority of injuries, seemingly harmless sparklers also cause numerous injuries each year. Sparklers accounted for the most injuries to children under the age of five. Fascinated by the bright sparks, children find these sticks of fire, burning as hot as 1,800 degrees--hot enough to melt gold--irresistible to touch.
Dr. Diab states, "The safest and most spectacular way to view fireworks is to attend a professionally conducted, community sponsored display."