AOA suggests enjoying professional fireworks displays to protect, preserve eyesight.

Medical News Today (6/10) reports, "This year for the 4th of July celebrations, the American Optometric Association (AOA) suggests that families and friends stay away from private firework use, and instead enjoy professional displays to protect and preserve eyesight." That is because "thousands of adults and children are seriously injured" each Independence Day "as a result of fireworks and pyrotechnic devices. Many burns and injuries affect eyesight, permanently damaging and in some cases blinding the victims." Figures from Consumer Product Safety Commission indicated that in 2005, "fireworks were involved in an estimated 10,800 injuries that were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments." Approximately 1,600 of these "cases were eye injuries," including "contusions and lacerations." Sparklers, in particular, are the main "cause of fireworks injuries requiring trips to the emergency room." And, even "bystanders are not safe from injury. Data from the United States Eye Injury Registry shows that bystanders are injured by fireworks one-half of the time."

I know this does not relate to dry eye, but with the July 4th holiday coming up I thought it may be time appropriate.