Author: proeye

Teen Blinded in One Eye By Fireworks

When Jameson Lamb and his friends began lighting fireworks one Fourth of July, it all seemed like harmless fun. Little did they know that at age 16 he would be robbed of his vision in one eye during a terrible accident.

They were at the family lake house in Michigan, where they bought a number of fireworks to set off near the lakeshore. After everyone went to bed, he and his friends snuck out to light a few more fireworks off over the lake. A Roman candle that they thought was extinguished shot out a round that hit him square in the eye. He ran screaming to the house and banged on the door. His mother let him in. The family drove to a hospital, his eye a black hole.

"It was black, full of debris," Lamb says.

Young people are at high risk of fireworks injuries
Injuries like Lamb's are all too common. Fireworks caused 15,600 injuries last year, according to a 2021 Consumer Product Safety Commission report. Nearly half of the reported injuries occurred in people under 20 years old. The eyes are the third-most often injured body part, accounting for about 15% of all fireworks injuries.

Common fireworks eye injuries include burns and corneal abrasions (which can get infected and scar over, blocking vision) to more serious potentially blinding injuries such as retinal detachment and rupture of the eyeball. All can impede vision permanently.

Lamb suffered burns to a significant part of his eyelids and the conjunctiva, or whites of the eye, said his ophthalmologist Ali Djalilian, M.D., one of the surgeons at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary who treated Lamb after the accident. "It's a chemical and a thermal injury, and that's what makes this injury so devastating."

Now 19, Lamb has gone through multiple surgeries to regain his sight, including a corneal transplant and a stem cell transplant. While his vision improved after the surgeries to 20/80, he has since lost vision in the eye damaged that fateful night.

Follow these fireworks safety rules
"One of the most important lessons I've learned from this experience is that fireworks aren't toys," Lamb says. "People need to know that there are risks. I hope that others can learn from me, so they don't have to go through the same thing I did just to find out."

Lamb has recorded a public service announcement on behalf of the American Academy of Ophthalmology offering fireworks safety advice.

To safely enjoy fireworks this Fourth of July, the Academy recommends attending a public fireworks show rather than using fireworks at home. Those who choose to do so should wear eye protection such as shatterproof polycarbonate safety glasses. People watching fireworks should also wear eye protection, as a significant number of those injured are bystanders. To avoid a tragic accident involving children and fireworks, never let young children handle fireworks, even sparklers. Sparklers can burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 times hotter than boiling water.

As Lamb says, "It's not worth the risk."

Remember: Fireworks are not toys
Fireworks may be advertised like toys. You may think you know how to handle them safely. But fireworks injure thousands of Americans every year. Playing with fireworks can blind you or your loved ones. Leave fireworks to the professionals this year, and share these fireworks safety tips with friends and family.

Vuity Eye Drops for Presbyopia

VUITY™ may help patients with presbyopia see up close

In clinical studies where patients received one drop of VUITY™ in each eye once daily, this was measured by the proportion of patients achieving a 3-line gain or more reading a near vision eye chart without losing more than 1 line in a distance vision eye chart at Day 30, 3 hours after dosing.

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It happens to many adults as we age

Approximately 128 million adults in the United States are living with presbyopia. Most people are in their 40s when they first start noticing problems seeing clearly up close. But now there’s a new way to treat it.

Eye Exams: Detecting the Signs We Can’t See

As adults age, many will develop eye diseases that could become debilitating if not treated in time. But people can protect themselves by having eye exams that can spot early and often hidden signs of eye disease. Find out how the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that you care for your eyes. Learn more at https://www.aao.org/eyesmart

Are styes contagious and what can I do about them?

Styes aren’t contagious, and most of the time you can treat them at home. Styes are very common. It’s kind of like a pimple on the eyelid. They will usually go away in a few days if you apply a clean, warm compress to your closed eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day. Andrew Iwach, MD, tells you what you need to know about styes and how to take care of them. For more information about styes and other eye conditions, visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart website: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseas…

Contact Lenses: No Prescription, No Way

Making your eyes look cool for Halloween with decorative contact lenses can be dangerous if you don’t follow the right steps. Even those with perfect vision should get an eye exam and a prescription before buying any contact lenses. Say no to over-the-counter lenses. Learn more at http://www.geteyesmart.org.

What You Need to Know About Dry Eyes

Dry eye is a complex disease that has many causes that often overlap and interact. For many people, a few simple lifestyle changes can resolve dry eye. Dry eye occurs when the eye does not produce enough tears or when the quality of the tears can’t keep the surface of the eye adequately lubricated. It frequently occurs with other health conditions. Environmental triggers, such as pollution or the weather, play a role. Sometimes it’s caused by medications, such as antihistamines, asthma medication or birth control pills. It can be made worse by computer or contact lens use. If your eyes remain red and irritated after trying these tips, see your ophthalmologist, a physician who specialize in medical and surgical eye care.

Dry eye diseases can have a number of causes. There are a variety of treatment approaches are used. For most people with occasional or mild dry eye symptoms, over-the-counter eyedrops (artificial tears) can help significantly. If your symptoms are persistent and more serious, your eye doctor can offer other options or switch medications that may be inducing dry eye.

Here are some of the options to treat dry eye:

Antibiotic to reduce eyelid inflammation. Inflammation along the edge of your eyelids can keep oil glands from secreting oil into your tears.
Eyedrops to control cornea inflammation. Inflammation on the cornea, the surface of your eyes, may be controlled with prescription eyedrops that contain cyclosporine.
Eye inserts that work like artificial tears. Inserted between your lower eyelid and your eyeball, these tiny inserts dissolve slowly, releasing an eye lubricant.
Tear-stimulating drugs. These drugs are available as pills, gel or eyedrops.
Tear-stimulating devices. A new device inserted in the nose stimulates a nerve to produce tears.
Eyedrops made from your own blood. These are called autologous blood serum drops.
Closing your tear ducts with a tiny silicone plug to reduce tear loss.
Unblocking oil glands, using light therapy or eyelid massage.
Treating an eyelid condition with surgery. Ectropion, a condition that turns lids outward, preventing the lid from closing completely.

Content provided by the AAO through the Eyesmart program.

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