How many times are they going to televise A Christmas Story this year? Even if you don't watch it again this season, it's never too often to hear Santa's warning about the dangers of BB guns, especially to your eyes. If you are thinking about purchasing a pellet gun this Christmas, make sure you consider the risks!
 |
| photo via AL.com Ralphie-- unfortunately those are NOT safety glasses! |
A NCBI study on the incidence of BB gun injury reports that 12.9 people per 100,000 would suffer a pellet gun injury. Not surprisingly, males between the ages of 10 and 14 were the most commonly injured. 62% of injuries were accidents, but nearly 14% of injuries were from direct assault!
 |
| photo via odlarmed.com If your eye looks like this year, go to the doctor immediately! |
What makes BB gun injuries so severe to the eye is that the pellet is more than large and fast enough to fully penetrate the ocular globe. That means the pellet can penetrate past the surface tissue and lodge itself inside the eye or even behind it towards the brain! The severity of injury can range from a corneal abrasion to intense bleeding and scarring of the retinal tissue (which can cause permanent vision loss). If you suffer an eye injury and note a dilated (enlarged) pupil or bleeding behind the cornea/in the iris (called hyphema) a trip to the emergency room is warranted immediately! There is a risk for permanent blindness with this type of penetrating injury.
If you are going to use pellet guns, I highly recommend eye protection. Safety glasses are required to meet FDA regulations for shatter resistance, and could mean the difference between normal vision and a devastating loss!
