In short: Diwali is a festival of light, but fireworks are one of the most common causes of serious, avoidable eye injuries around the season. A few simple rules — and knowing what not to do if an injury happens — can protect your sight and your family’s.
Why firecrackers are so dangerous to the eyes
Fireworks can cause burns, blast injuries, cuts from fragments and chemical injuries all at once. Bystanders, especially children watching nearby, are often hurt as often as the person lighting the cracker. Injuries range from irritation and scratches on the surface of the eye to deep, sight-threatening damage that needs urgent surgery.
Before you celebrate: safety rules
- Keep a safe distance. Light fireworks from arm’s length with a long incense stick and step back immediately.
- Never lean over a cracker to check it, and never relight or pick up one that has not gone off.
- Supervise children closely. Young children should not handle fireworks at all, including sparklers.
- Use protective eyewear if you are lighting crackers; ordinary spectacles give limited protection from fragments.
- Keep water nearby and light fireworks only in an open area, away from crowds and flammable material.
- Buy from licensed sellers and avoid home-made or tampered fireworks.
Smoke, dust and irritation
Even without an injury, heavy smoke and particles can cause burning, redness and watering, particularly in people with dry eyes or allergies. Stay away from dense smoke, avoid rubbing your eyes, and use lubricating drops as advised by your doctor. Contact lens wearers should consider glasses for the evening, as lenses can trap particles. See our guide on air quality and your eyes. If you have had LASIK or other eye surgery recently, ask your surgeon how to protect your eyes during celebrations.
If an eye injury happens: do this
- Stay calm and keep the injured person still.
- Wash your hands before touching the area around the eye.
- For smoke or chemical irritation, rinse gently with clean running water.
- Cover the eye loosely with a clean cup, shield or sterile pad taped to the bone around the eye — do not press on the eyeball.
- Get to an eye doctor or a hospital emergency immediately.
If an eye injury happens: do NOT do this
- Do not rub or press the eye.
- Do not try to remove an object stuck in the eye.
- Do not apply ointments, drops, turmeric, kajal or any home remedy.
- Do not delay in the hope that it will settle.
- Do not give blood-thinning pain medicines such as aspirin unless a doctor advises.
Signs that need immediate attention
Severe pain, bleeding, an eye that looks misshapen, a drop in vision, seeing flashes, floaters or a dark curtain, or visible burns around the eye all need urgent examination. For delayed symptoms, see our guide to retinal detachment warning signs.
Talk to us
For a non-emergency eye examination after the festival, or to ask a question, contact Trivision Eye Hospital in Bandra West. In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital with eye emergency care without delay. This article is general information, not a substitute for medical care.