Eye Safety During Deepavali Fireworks

Each Deepavali, thousands of people are injured from using consumer fireworks. Of the thousands of fireworks-related injuries each year, nearly half are head-related injuries, with nearly 30 percent of these injuries to the eyes. One-fourth of fireworks eye injuries result in permanent vision loss or blindness.

“Too many Deepavali celebrations are ruined because a child has to be rushed to the emergency room after a fireworks accident,” says Prof. Dr. Suseela Prabhakaran.  

Children are the most common victims of firework accidents, with those 15 years old or younger accounting for half of all fireworks eye injuries. For children under the age of five, seemingly innocent sparklers account for one-third of all fireworks injuries. Sparklers can burn at nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to cause a third-degree burn.

“Among the most serious injuries are abrupt trauma to the eye from bottle rockets,” according to Prof. Dr. Suseela Prabhakaran. The rockets fly erratically, often injuring bystanders. Injuries from bottle rockets can include eyelid lacerations, corneal abrasions, traumatic cataract, retinal detachment, optic nerve damage, rupture of the eyeball, eye muscle damage and complete blindness.

For a safe and healthy Deepavali celebration, Divya Prabha Eye Hospital urges observance of the following tips:

• Never let children play with fireworks of any type.
• View fireworks from a safe distance: at least 500 feet away for best viewing.
• Respect safety barriers set up to allow pyrotechnicians to do their jobs safely.
• Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals.
• Follow directives given by event ushers or public safety personnel.
• If you find unexploded fireworks remains, do not touch them. Immediately contact your local fire or police departments.
• If you get an eye injury from fireworks, seek medical help immediately

Heart Burn Due to Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease: GERD

 GERD is a recurrent and chronic disease for which long-term medical therapy is usually effective. It is important to recognize that chronic reflux does not resolve itself. There is not yet a cure for GERD. Long-term and appropriate treatment is necessary.

Treatment options include lifestyle modifications, medications, surgery, or a combination of methods. Over-the-counter preparations provide only temporary symptom relief. They do not prevent recurrence of symptoms or allow an injured esophagus to heal. They should not be taken regularly as a substitute for prescription medicines – they may be hiding a more serious condition. If needed regularly, for more than two weeks, consult a physician for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

While diet does not cause GERD, reflux and its most frequent complaint of heartburn can be aggravated by foods.

 Common foods that can worsen reflux symptoms include

1. citrus fruits
2. chocolate
3. drinks with caffeine or alcohol
4. fatty and fried foods
5. garlic and onions
6. mint flavorings
7. spicy foods
8. tomato-based foods, like spaghetti sauce, salsa, chili, and pizza

Lifestyle Changes

1. If you smoke, stop.
2. Avoid foods and beverages that worsen symptoms.
3. Lose weight if needed.
4. Eat small, frequent meals.
5. Wear loose-fitting clothes.
6. Avoid lying down for 3 hours after a meal.
7. Raise the head of your bed 6 to 8 inches by securing wood blocks under the bedposts. Just using extra pillows will not help.

Tip: Don't lie down within 3 hours of eating. That's when acid production is at its peak, so plan early dinners and avoid bedtime snacks.


How to eat

How is perhaps more important than what you eat. A large meal will empty slowly from the stomach and exert pressure on the LES. A snack at bedtime is well positioned to reflux when you lie down. It is best to eat early in the evening so that the meal is digested at bedtime. You might try having the main meal at noon and a lighter one at dinnertime. All meals should be eaten in relaxed stress-free surroundings. Trips to the kitchen to fetch food or the performance of other tasks such as minding children should be suspended during, and for a time after, eating. Smaller meals and an upright, relaxed posture should help minimize reflux.

What you eat

Certain foods compromise the sphincter's ability to prevent reflux, and are best avoided before lying down or exertion. These differ from person to person. Many person find that fats, onions, and chocolate as particularly troublesome. Alcohol often provokes heartburn, by compromising the LES, irritating the esophagus, and by stimulating stomach acid production. Common beverages such as coffee (both caffeinated and decaffeinated), tea, cola, tomato juice, and citrus juice may aggravate symptoms by irritating the esophagus or stimulating stomach acid production.[3] Certain other foods may bother some people; upon their discovery a period of avoidance or reduction may be of benefit.

Tip: Experiment to find what does and does not work best for you. Start by reducing fatty foods, onions, and chocolate.

Some oral medications such as potassium supplements or the antibiotic tetracycline will burn if allowed to rest in the esophagus. To be safe, one should always swallow medication in the upright position and wash it down with lots of water.


Other factors
Being overweight can promote reflux. Excess abdominal fat puts pressure on the stomach and the loss of even a moderate amount of weight makes many people feel better.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) limit acid secretion in the stomach. They allow rapid resolution of symptoms and healing of the esophagus in 80-90% of patients. The drug is also useful in managing stricture, one of the more serious complications of GERD.

Even after symptoms are brought under control, the underlying disease remains present. It is possible that a person may need to take a medication for the rest of their life to manage GERD. Long-term use of medication – whether prescription or nonprescription – should be under the direction and supervision of a physician. Side effects are rare; nonetheless, any drug can potentially have adverse effects.