Diwali firecracker eye injury: LV Prasad Eye Institute’s do’s, don’ts and first aid

Eye surgeons at the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad have one rule for any firecracker eye injury this Diwali: the eye goes to a doctor, not to home remedies. The Diwali eye-safety advisory, issued on Wednesday, 4 November, comes four days before Naraka Chaturdashi and Deepavali fall together on Sunday, 8 November.

Dr Navya Cherukuri, Consultant Ophthalmologist at the institute’s Kallam Anji Reddy campus, said cracker injuries run from a scratch on the surface of the eye to bleeding inside it, a cataract caused by the blast, damage to the retina and, in the worst cases, vision that never comes back. Children and people standing close by but not lighting anything are the ones most often hurt, the institute said.

Before the first match is struck

LVPEI’s list starts at the shop. Buy only from licensed sellers, leave the crackers out in sunlight for two days before use, and store them in cartons kept well clear of children, gas cylinders and oil cans. Light them in an open space, one person at a time, using a long sparkler or an incense stick, with shatterproof goggles on and two buckets of water within reach. Thick cotton clothes are safer than synthetics.

The don’ts are just as specific. Never hold a cracker while lighting it or lean over it, never set one off inside a bottle, tin or pot, never walk back to one that failed to go off, never carry crackers in a pocket or make new ones from leftover powder, and never launch rockets when the wind is strong. Diyas, LED lights and rangoli are the institute’s suggested alternatives.

If a spark hits the eye

Loose dust can be rinsed gently with clean water or saline, and an eye splashed with chemicals should be flushed under running water at once. After that, keep the eye closed and rest a hard eye shield or a folded, clean cloth over it without pressing. Do not rub it, do not try to pull out anything stuck in it, and do not apply ointment, kajal or turmeric. The injured person should not drive to hospital. LVPEI said every such injury needs an eye specialist or an emergency room, even when it looks small.

Any eye injury, however small it looks, should be shown to an eye doctor at the nearest hospital emergency without delay.