{"id":909615,"date":"2026-07-03T10:35:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T10:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/909615\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:35:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T10:35:17","slug":"fireworks-eye-injuries-houston-methodist-expert-shares-5-tips-to-stay-safe-this-july-4th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/909615\/","title":{"rendered":"Fireworks eye injuries: Houston Methodist expert shares 5 tips to stay safe this July 4th"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 With the nation\u2019s 250th Independence Day right around the corner, a Houston Methodist ophthalmology expert is urging families to take a closer look at fireworks safety \u2014 specifically when it comes to protecting their eyes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Dr. Andrew Lee, the Herb and Jean Lyman Centennial Chair in Ophthalmology at Houston Methodist, says the spike in fireworks-related eye injuries every July is not only predictable \u2014 it\u2019s preventable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cEvery year, we see a similar pattern,\u201d Lee said. \u201cThe majority of firework-related eye injuries happen in July and many involve children. These are not rare accidents \u2014 they\u2019re expected and preventable.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p>Study reveals scope of the problem<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Lee co-led a national study analyzing 20 years of data on fireworks-related eye injuries. The research found an estimated 41,700 emergency department visits nationwide tied to fireworks-related eye trauma.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The findings paint a particularly concerning picture for younger Americans. Nearly two-thirds of those injuries occurred in individuals under 18, with children ages 6 to 11 identified as an especially vulnerable group. Boys were disproportionately affected, accounting for roughly three in four cases reported.<\/p>\n<p>5 tips to prevent fireworks eye injuries<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Lee says most fireworks-related eye injuries can be avoided with a few simple precautions. Here are his five tips heading into the holiday weekend:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 UQlG font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Supervise children at all times around fireworks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Maintain a safe distance from active fireworks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Wear protective eyewear when handling fireworks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Leave igniting fireworks to responsible adults<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Attend professional displays instead of using consumer fireworks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>What parents need to know about sparklers<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">One of the most common \u2014 and underestimated \u2014 hazards? Sparklers.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Lee noted that children should always be closely supervised and kept at a safe distance from fireworks, especially sparklers, which can burn at extremely high temperatures and pose serious risks to the eyes. He also cautioned that spectators should never stand close to fireworks or attempt to relight malfunctioning ones, as unpredictable explosions can send debris flying toward the face.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The message is simple: the safest way to enjoy the fireworks this Fourth of July is to leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals and watch from a safe distance.<\/p>\n<p>Start Here, Houston<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 bTVksG\">More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 With the nation\u2019s 250th Independence Day right around the corner, a Houston Methodist ophthalmology expert is&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":901432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5130],"tags":[5864,10202,4345,77511,14845,14848,8152,358,3187],"class_list":["post-909615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-fireworks","tag-fourth-of-july","tag-houston","tag-houston-methodist","tag-independence-day","tag-july-4th","tag-safety","tag-texas","tag-tx"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116855605179884314","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/909615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=909615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/909615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/901432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=909615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=909615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=909615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}