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This week on Health Watch, we’ve been talking about summer activities and how to enjoy them safely and comfortably. With the July 4 holiday approaching, you may be tempted to head for a fireworks stand and stock up to put on a backyard show. That could put you and your loved ones in danger.
Dr. Preston Blomquist, an ophthalmologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says people can lose their vision or even their eyes from amateur fireworks. Bottle rockets are particularly dangerous because the rockets can fly erratically and hit people and the bottles used to launch the rockets may explode and send shards of glass flying. Non-professional fireworks are responsible for a third of all eye injuries, and there are more than 10,000 fireworks-related injuries every year. If you want to celebrate Independence Day with a bang, go to a professionally produced fireworks show.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/ophth to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in eyes.
