Washington: Experts have put together words of caution to avoid injuries while making champagne toast during the holiday season.Mark Melson, M.D., assistant professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, warned how popping a bottle of bubbly can be dangerous to health.
Melson explained: “Eye injuries from flying champagne corks, especially around the holidays, are fairly common. Champagne is part of the holidays, but opening the bottles properly might save some folks a trip to the emergency room or a visit to their eye doctor.
“It might be cool to have the cork pop and it’s exciting to have champagne gush from the bottle, but it’s not fun to suffer an eye injury that may prove to be devastating.”
The expert, who specializes in oculoplastic reconstructive surgery and neuro-ophthalmology, further said: “That is a lot of force to the eye. The damage can range from corneal abrasions to retinal detachment. The best advice if someone does suffer an eye injury is to seek medical attention immediately. Do not manipulate the eye in any way.”
Melson, along with the American Academy of Ophthalmology, recommened the following tips for proper champagne opening:
• Make sure the bottle of bubbly is chilled. If left warm the pressure is more likely to build.
• Don’t shake the bottle. This only increases the speed of the cork upon opening.
• Place a towel over the top of the bottle to provide an additional shield.
• Keep the bottle tilted at a 45-degree angle, pointing away from people.
• Hold the cork while twisting the bottle to break the seal. Keep your hand over the cork.
• Never use a corkscrew to open a bottle of champagne. It will only serve as a larger, more dangerous projectile.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.