Viewing fireworks, especially during celebrations such as the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve are common and well-anticipated events. Unexpectedly, this can affect people’s sense of sight. What are some tips to prevent this?

Fireworks have become essential part of celebrations and holidays. People, especially kids, look forward to viewing fireworks, since it can be quite expensive to simply do at home.

However, though it is quite enjoyable to watch, dust and sparkles can accidentally reach the eyes, which are very sensitive. This might cause blurredness and worst, blindness.

Here are four practical tips to remember in order to save one’s eye-sight while enjoying a spectacular fireworks show:

1. Let the pros handle it.

During most firework shows, especially in bigger events and gatherings, professionals are specially called to do the honor of lighting the fireworks, in order to prevent any form of accident.

Professionals are trained to conduct safety precautions when lighting fireworks. They also have specialized tools and accessories, which can ensure their safety. This includes eyeglasses or eye protector specially approved by certain organizations.

Thus, it is better for people to let professionals handle everything. One should just sit back and enjoy the show.

2. If there are no professionals around, let adults take care of it.

Another practical tip is to let adults take care of the lighting of the fireworks. This can be done if professionals are not around and the fireworks to be used are only small ones such as sparkles.

One should prevent, at all costs, children from playing fireworks by themselves and without proper guidance. This could be a bad move, since children may be careless in handling such things.

However, the adults should also take extra precautions and handle fireworks only if they have a degree of knowledge on how to handle it. This is also for the safety of the adults present.

3. Keep a fair amount of distance.

For audiences and bystanders, a fair amount of distance should be observed in order to prevent dust and sparkles from accidentally reaching the eyes.

Most fireworks show has at least one casualty, resulting to permanent blindness on an eye or two. Moreover, this happens to bystanders who stands close enough to be reached by a spark or a heated metal.

In order to prevent this, usually guard rails are placed at a safe distance away from where the fireworks are to be lighted. Organizers of events make sure of this.

It is better to bring picnic blankets and set it up in a place quite a distance away. Furthermore, kids should not be allowed to roam around away from the picnic blanket, to ensure safety.

4. Wear protection for the eyes, just in case.

Our eyes are protected by our eyelids from dust and harmful things, which can irritate the eyes. However, in cases of fireworks, these are not enough.

As a safety precaution, people should wear eye protection to prevent stray sparks from getting directly into the eyes. Such protection can include eyeglasses and sunglasses.

This is the part where wearing prescription glasses are better than wearing contacts, since the glasses can be a sort of solid protective shield. Rather than doing than, contacts, when hit by stray sparks and ashes, can possibly harm the eyes more.

For fireworks display at night, one can wear light tinted sun glasses, as a form of protection and as an accessory on fashion.

If something does indeed happen, do not rub the eyes and don’t apply any pressure to it, as stated by several medical advises. Not only will it not heal, it will just make matters worse, especially if it suddenly bleeds. Also don’t put anything in the affected part.

Aside from that, it is better too not eat and drink while waiting for medical assistance. The patience should be brought to a clinic or a hospital outright.

These tips may not prevent anything which can happen suddenly, but. It will at least reduce the damage to something which can still be treated. After all, prevention is always better than cure.

Lastly, taking precautions can at least ease up the worries we have on our heads. It is better to feel safe while enjoying the colorful sparks of fireworks rather than being worried all throughout.