December 2021 Newsletter

Happy Holidays!!!

Make Sure Protective Eyewear is on Your Christmas Shopping List

In the beloved holiday movie, A Christmas Story, Ralphie attempts to convince his parents and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun is the perfect Christmas gift. They all reject his pleas with the same warning: "You'll shoot your eye out." While you may not literally shoot your eye out, a new study in Ophthalmology Retina – a journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology – shows that BB and pellet guns do blind children every year.

The number of eye injuries related to such non-powder guns are increasing at an alarming rate. Another study published earlier this year showed an increase of almost 170 percent over the last 23 years. If toy guns are on your shopping list, we at the Eye Centers of Northwest Ohio and the American Academy of Ophthalmology urge you to also give the gift of protective eyewear. Protective eyewear and proper guidance make BB, pellet and paintball gun activities safer for children.

To prevent eye injuries we suggest the following:

Buy the proper eye protection. Always wear eye protection that meets appropriate national standards when using non-powder guns.
Get a target. Have children shoot BB and pellet guns at paper or gel targets with a backstop to trap BBs or pellets.
Educate children. Teach them proper safety precautions for handling and using non-powder guns.
Be present. Ensure that there is always appropriate adult supervision.
Know what to do (and what not to) if an eye injury occurs. Seek immediate medical attention from an eye doctor. As you wait for medical help, make sure you don’t touch, rub, apply pressure, or try to remove any object stuck in the eye.

“Ophthalmologists see firsthand the devastating damage toy guns can inflict on the eyes; children are blinded,” said Dianna Seldomridge, M.D., MBA, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “The good news is, most of these injuries are avoidable. Protective eyewear and adult supervision make non-powder gun activities much safer for children. If you can’t resist the Ralphies in your life, buy protective eyewear.”

Here’s How To Open a Champagne Bottle Without Hurting Your Eye

Before you pop a bottle of Champagne this holiday season, learn how to do it safely. A warm bottle of champagne coupled with poor technique can send a cork flying up to 50 mph; powerful enough to shatter glass and eyeballs. Exploding corks can cause a wide range of eye injuries, from cuts and bruises to cataracts, glaucoma, and ruptured eyeballs. Cork-related eye injuries are avoidable. Follow these tips:

Chill the Champagne before opening. Gas found in Champagne expands when warm and can cause the cork to pop unexpectedly.
Don’t shake the bottle. This can also cause the bottle to burst unexpectedly and cause an injury.
When opening, tear off the foil, remove the wire hood and point the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from yourself and any bystanders.
Place a towel over the top of the bottle and grasp the cork.
Slowly and firmly twist the bottle, not the cork. Press down on the cork while twisting the bottle. Do this until the pressure in the bottle begins to push the cork out naturally.

If an injury does occur, please call us!