This year we get to celebrate 250 years of our country. For many of us, this means time with friends and family lighting off fireworks and waving sparklers. Fireworks, while beautiful, can be dangerous if not handled properly. Emergency rooms see a massive spike in ocular trauma during the 4th of July holiday. Almost one in five of these accidents will result in severe permanent vision loss and, more often than not, affect children.

Sparklers are a major contributor to these statistics, despite being widely perceived as safe for children. They burn at temperatures exceeding 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, which can cause third-degree skin burns. When waved around in crowded spaces, sparklers can easily contact a child’s face, leading to burns on the cornea, traumatic cataracts, or permanent blindness. Bottle rockets and firecrackers add to the risk, as their unpredictable flight paths and flying shrapnel can pierce the eye or cause devastating retinal detachments.

This is not to say you shouldn’t go enjoy fireworks! There are few things better than celebrating our country but we just want you to be safe. The easiest way to eliminate risk is to skip at home fireworks and watch one of the local firework shows here in Eau Claire and Chippewa County. If you do choose to light off your own fireworks, wearing polycarbonate safety glasses is non-negotiable, as standard corrective lenses or sunglasses can shatter upon impact. In the event of an eye injury, never rub or flush the eye; instead, protect it with a rigid shield like a paper cup and seek immediate emergency medical care.

We hope everyone has a fabulous and safe Independence Day celebrating our semiquincentennial, which I found out while writing this article is the word for a 250th anniversary. Please feel free to send us pictures of your local fireworks and how you and your family are choosing to celebrate!