Bruising the cornea with a coniferous tree needle, burning, or even hitting the eye with a champagne cork – what to watch out for during the holiday season?

23.12.2022

Christmas and New Year celebrations are a time of joy and merriment for many people, but they can also pose a danger to our eyes. Here are some risks to be aware of when enjoying Christmas.

1. Bruising the cornea with coniferous needles while decorating the Christmas tree: Needles can be sharp and easily scratch the cornea if they come in contact with the eyes while decorating. It is, therefore, essential to be careful and take care when handling the needle.
2. Corneal burns from flying sparks when lighting sparklers: Sparklers are rather a popular pastime during the Christmas holidays. Flying sparks can cause burns to the eye’s cornea, even with short-term contact. When lighting sparklers, it is thus important not to have them too close to your face and, if necessary, to put on glasses that protect your eyes from possible impacts.
3. Eye burns from hot oil when pouring lead or frying carp: Although these are common Christmas activities, they can also harm your eyes. Hot oil may splash when casting information or frying carp, seriously damaging the eyes. It is therefore important to be cautious and wear glasses that protect the eyes from possible impacts.
4. Discharging pyrotechnics: During New Year’s Eve, there is a risk of eye injury when handling pyrotechnics or even when opening bottles of sparkling wine. Pyrotechnics are particularly dangerous due to their high temperature and high speed of flying parts. Following the safety instructions on the packaging and your common sense is crucial. When rigging fireworks, it is important to keep the proper distance, not look too closely into the fireworks and be careful when the ash falls. Of course, when opening a bottle of sparkling wine, we aim the bottle at where the cork should hit no one.

In case of an eye injury, it is always best to see an eye doctor as soon as possible, who will decide on the most suitable treatment.

On the other hand, the best thing you can do for the health of your eyes during the holidays is to go outside for fresh air, limit the artificial light of mobile phone screens and monitors, or illuminate your book sufficiently so that your eyes are not strained unnecessarily.