Fireworks are a common cause of children’s eye injuries, especially in the summer. “No ophthalmologist likes to be on call for the Fourth of July,” said Dr. Hilary Grissom, an ophthalmologist at the Eye Clinic in Jackson. “Every year, we see children with injuries caused by fireworks.”

The best way to be safe around fireworks is to avoid backyard fireworks and only attend public displays, she said. Fireworks can cause severe burns and other damage to the eye.

“Every year, we see people in the emergency room with severe eye lacerations and burns that require surgery,” she said. “One-third to one-fourth of fireworks’ injuries to the eye result in permanent vision loss.”

And children have a higher risk to injuries from fireworks, she said. Little children holding sparklers, teenage boys shooting fireworks at one another, and people getting too close to bottle rockets and Roman candles create hazards.

“Things can happen so quickly,” Dr. Grissom said. “You can't stop it.”

Besides fireworks, summertime is a particularly dangerous time for eyes because people are outside more, playing sports, sitting in the sun and generally doing more activities that can cause vision problems and eye injuries, she said.

Nearly half of all eye injuries occur in and around the home from debris flying out of lawnmowers, grease popping off stovetops and a variety of home improvement projects. Dr. Grissom recommends that people wear safety glasses when doing these types of activities.

Exposure to ultraviolet light is harmful to eyes as well. Dr. Grissom recommends wearing brimmed hats and sunglasses with 99 percent and above UV protection.

Sun damage speeds the onset of cataracts, can worsen age-related macular degeneration and can cause growths on the eye, Dr. Grissom said. People who live in sunny parts of the world or who work in the sun seem to have a greater risk for a condition called pterygium. Sun-damaged skin from the white part of the eye grows over the cornea, causing astigmatism and obstructing vision.

Photosensitive drugs that make your skin more sensitive to light can make your eyes more sensitive, too.

Thousands of sports and recreation-related injuries also occur to the eye each year. The risk of injury varies with the activity, but sports-related eye injuries occur more often with baseball, softball, basketball and racquet sports.

Wear protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses when playing these sports, Dr. Grissom said, and even consider not playing high-risk sports if you already have reduced vision in one eye.

Featured Doctor

Hilary Grissom, M.D. Ophthalmology

Dr. Grissom, a native of Lexington, received her medical degree and had her residency and surgery training at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, College of Medicine. She interned at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis. She has a special interest in cataract surgery, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma and surgery of the eyelids.