The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and cherished traditions. From decorating the tree to exchanging gifts, these moments create lasting memories. However, many of our favorite holiday activities come with hidden risks to our eyes.
At Berkeley Eye Center, we see an increase in preventable eye injuries every holiday season. To help your family stay safe and focused on the fun, our doctors have compiled this essential guide to holiday eye safety.
1. Deck the Halls, Safely: Decorating Dangers
- Watch for Branches: Be careful when carrying and decorating your Christmas tree. Sharp pine needles can easily cause a painful corneal abrasion (a scratch on the clear front surface of the eye).
- Handle with Care: When hanging fragile ornaments or handling decorations with glitter, try to avoid touching your eyes. Wash your hands frequently to prevent glitter or other small particles from causing irritation.
- Practice Ladder Safety: Falls are a common source of all types of injuries, including serious eye trauma. When hanging lights or decorations, make sure your ladder is on a firm, level surface and always have a spotter.
2. Give the Gift of Sight: Choose Toys Wisely
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, most toy-related eye injuries can be prevented with careful selection.
- Avoid Projectile Toys: Steer clear of gifts that shoot projectiles. Toys like BB guns, pellet guns, airsoft rifles, or even those that launch foam darts are a leading cause of holiday eye injuries in children.
- Check Age-Appropriateness: Always follow the age recommendations on toy packaging. Choose toys that are suited to a child’s maturity and ability level.
- Gift Protective Eyewear: If you’re gifting new sports equipment, like a basketball, hockey stick, or racquet, include the gift of safety by also providing a pair of certified protective sports goggles.
3. Feast Your Eyes, But Protect Them: Kitchen Safety
- Guard Against Splatter: When cooking with hot oil or grease, use a grease shield or stand back from the pan to protect your face and eyes from painful splatters.
- Beware of Steam: Use caution when opening the lids of hot pots and pans on the stove or dishes from the microwave. A blast of hot steam can cause a thermal burn to the eye.
4. Cheers to a Safe Celebration
- Aim the Cork Away: A flying champagne cork can travel up to 50 mph and can cause severe eye injury, including retinal detachment or blindness. When opening a bottle, hold it at a 45-degree angle pointed away from yourself and others. Cover the cork with a towel and press down on it while twisting the bottle (not the cork) to break the seal.
- Leave Fireworks to the Pros: For New Year’s Eve, the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public display. Sparklers, which many people think are harmless, can burn at temperatures hot enough to melt glass and cause devastating eye injuries.
What to Do in an Eye Emergency
If an eye injury does occur:
- DO NOT rub, press on, or apply pressure to the eye.
- DO NOT try to remove an object that appears to be stuck in the eye.
- DO NOT apply ointment or medication to the eye.
- For a chemical splash, DO immediately flush the eye with plenty of clean water.
- DO seek immediate medical attention from an eye doctor or go to the nearest emergency room.
To protect your child’s vision year-round, schedule their next comprehensive eye exam with one of our specialists.
From all of us at Berkeley Eye Center, we wish you a safe and wonderful holiday season filled with happy memories. Our team is here for you if any eye emergencies arise.