Overview
- Explosions, sparks, ash and chemical residue from firecrackers can cause corneal burns, penetrating trauma and internal retinal damage that in some cases leads to permanent vision loss.
- Children account for many of the severe cases reported, with doctors saying some injuries have required cornea transplants or other major eye surgery.
- Medical teams warn that injuries that seem minor can later produce retinal problems such as large macular holes that need specialised surgery called vitrectomy.
- Ophthalmologists and health departments specifically warn against carbide guns, relighting duds, looking into nozzles and using home remedies, and they advise protective eyewear and close adult supervision of children.
- Hospitals across cities have readied emergency beds, ambulances and specialist staff, and doctors also caution that firecracker smoke raises the risk of breathing problems for people with asthma or COPD.