Diwali safety tips: 5 ways to protect your eyes from firecracker pollution

Diwali is fast approaching, and we are all in the mood and excited for the celebration of this festival, buying clothes, sweets, decorations, and firecrackers. We all have family gatherings to share our joy and moments, and while we prepare our home for the festival, we also need to take a moment to protect our health.

Diwali is a festival of lights. We all like to gaze in amazement at the starburst of the firecrackers. The firecrackers release smoke, gases, and fine chemical residue into the air. Firecracker emissions contain particulate matter of PM 2.5 and PM 10 along with combustion products and gaseous pollutants. This can increase pollution, which not only affects our lungs but also our eyes.

Our ocular surface is protected by a tear film comprising lipid, aqueous, and mucin layers. When these airborne pollutants come into contact with our ocular surface, they disrupt the tear film, our ocular homeostasis, and trigger inflammation of the eyes, causing varied symptoms.

Common symptoms of this would be redness, excessive watering, burning sensation, itching, and foreign body sensation. For any person with pre-existing eye disease like dry eye or allergic conjunctivitis, these pollutants can aggravate the symptoms.

What precautions can be taken?

1) Keeping doors and windows closed to prevent these particles from entering our house

2) Wearing goggles that completely cover our eyes, especially adults and kids who have allergic conjunctivitis and ocular surface disorders

3) Avoid rubbing eyes when having irritation. Use drinking water to wash eyes if something has gone in the eye or use FDA-approved lubricating eye drops

4) Avoid firecrackers that are very close to the face and body

5) Meet your eye surgeon immediately if there is redness, pain, or blurred vision

Air pollutants are one aspect, but direct exposure to firecrackers, like sparks, high-velocity fragments, and explosive forces, can cause severe ocular trauma. As experts, we have seen injuries from eyelid burns, corneal defects causing corneal opacity, hyphema (blood in anterior chamber) make up majority cases but traumatic cataract, retinal injuries also eye ball rupture which can lead to permanent loss of vision have also been seen.

In any such situation, urgently going to the emergency department and meeting an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) is very important. Studies have shown that the majority of those who encounter firecracker ophthalmic injury are children and young adults; we have seen paediatric and adolescent cases with ophthalmic eye injury up to over 60 per cent. Males account for roughly 85-90 per cent of such injuries. A significant percentage, roughly 35-55 per cent, of injuries happen to bystanders or onlookers other than the person igniting the firecrackers.

Effects of Diwali smoke with already existing pollution makes the atmospheric air more harmful not only for eye but to patients with chronic lung diseases specially children and older adults. Thus, making a thoughtful choice to reduce the use of firecrackers can help ensure the festival is joyful for everyone.

The true spirit of Diwali is in spreading light and happiness while taking care of our own and others. Wishing a joyful Diwali to all our readers.

(The author is a consultant cataract, medical retina & uvea specialist at Agarwal Eye Care, Sunkadakatte)

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.