“Eyes stinging after watching fireworks?” ... The culprit: ash blown in

[Financial News] On the 7th, fireworks will light up the night sky over Gwangalli Beach in Busan. But smoke and fine particulate matter remain where the spectacular fireworks burst. Ash carried by the wind can get into the eyes and potentially scratch the cornea, so caution is needed.
A, a person in their 20s who attended the Seoul International Fireworks Festival last September, suddenly felt a stinging sensation while watching the fireworks and felt as if something had gotten into their eye. Strong winds were blowing at the venue at the time. Thinking ash from the fireworks had gotten into their eye, A rubbed it with a hand and simply went home. But the foreign-body sensation and redness had not subsided by the next day, so A eventually went to the hospital.
Ko Gyeong-min, a specialist at the Cornea Center of Kim's Eye Hospital, explained, “Every year, patients come to the hospital with eye pain and redness immediately after fireworks festivals,” adding, “In late fall and winter, strong winds and dry air make the tear film unstable, so even minor irritation can easily cause discomfort.”

At fireworks festivals, smoke and fine particulate matter produced by exploding fireworks spread with the wind. People can also easily be exposed to drifting ash and dust around campfires at campsites in fall and winter. According to a study published by a Korea University research team in the international environmental journal Science of the Total Environment, ultrafine particulate concentrations near the venues rose significantly during the 2023 Seoul International Fireworks Festival and Busan Fireworks Festival compared with before the events.

The cornea, the transparent tissue at the very front of the eye, is densely supplied with nerves, so even a tiny speck of dust can cause stinging, a foreign-body sensation, tearing and redness. Rubbing the eye when something is in it can scratch the corneal surface and cause a corneal abrasion, in which epithelial cells are scraped away. Pain and sensitivity to light can follow, and if bacteria enter the wound, there is a risk it could develop into a serious eye condition such as keratitis or a corneal ulcer.
If dust gets into your eye, do not rub it. Instead, blink several times to help flush it out with your tears. If the foreign-body sensation remains, wash your hands thoroughly, then rinse the eye with artificial tears or saline solution. Tilt your head slightly and hold your eyelids open so the fluid runs across the surface of the eye. Avoid directing a strong stream of water straight into the eye.
Also avoid trying to remove the object with your fingers, a cotton swab or a tissue, as this could further injure the cornea. If something is embedded in the cornea or the eye has been punctured by a sharp fragment, do not try to rinse or remove it yourself. Cover the eye with a plastic eye shield or a paper cup, for example, making sure not to put pressure on it, and go straight to an eye clinic or emergency medical center.
Contact lens wearers need to be especially careful. If something gets trapped between a lens and the cornea, friction occurs every time you blink, and corneal damage can progress rapidly. If you feel a foreign-body sensation or pain, or notice redness, wash your hands and carefully remove the lens. However, if dry eye or an injury has caused the lens to stick to the cornea and it does not come out easily, do not force it; seek care from an eye doctor. Do not wear a contaminated lens again until it has been checked by a medical professional. Avoid rinsing or storing lenses in tap water, as this can lead to serious infections such as Acanthamoeba keratitis.
When camping, take care around hot embers and ash as well. If an ember hits the eye, it can cause a thermal burn to the cornea. Depending on the substances left behind after burning, it may also cause a chemical burn. If a chemical or harmful residue gets into the eye, immediately rinse it thoroughly under clean running water for at least 15 minutes, then seek medical care.

During outdoor activities, it is best to first check the wind direction and your surroundings. At fireworks festivals, avoid downwind areas where smoke and particulate matter are blowing, and stay far enough from campfires that sparks cannot reach you. In windy or dusty places, wear glasses or protective eyewear instead of contact lenses. It can also help to carry preservative-free artificial tears and use them frequently. After returning home, wash your hands and gently wipe away any residue around your eyelids.
If a corneal abrasion has already occurred, the foreign-body sensation may continue even after the object has been removed, as if grains of sand were rolling around in the eye. If redness or sensitivity to light does not subside after rinsing, the pain is so severe that it is difficult to open the eye, or vision is blurred, have the cornea checked at an eye clinic immediately.
Specialist Ko emphasized, “During outdoor activities, consciously blink frequently and keep the surface of your eyes moist with artificial tears,” and added, “Be sure to avoid rubbing your eyes with your hands when you feel a foreign-body sensation.” 

[email protected] Jung Myung-jin, medical writer Reporter