Sparklers and bottle rockets may seem harmless, but sparklers are hot enough to cause third-degree burns and bottle rockets fly unpredictably through the air.

If you or a loved one does have an eye injury, don’t rub it or rinse it. Doing so could actually cause more damage. Instead, immediately cover the eye with a makeshift shield (such as a Styrofoam cup) and seek emergency medical care. For more information, take a look Prevent Blindness America’s firework information.

Oh, and don’t forget about protecting your eyes from the sun this weekend either—wear your sunglasses! Watch this video about how UV rays can damage your eyes and you can win a pair of designer sunglasses and $200 cash!

Jill N. is a member of the VSP Global Public Relations team.

In July, VSP partnered with Transitions and Prevent Blindness America to provide two days of outreach in Chicago with our newest mobile eye clinic, Eyenstein.

The event was also featured in the Chicago Tribune, read the article here!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jessica G. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.

I was seven. Holding the book inches from the end of my nose, I was reading the newest Encyclopedia Brown. My parents witnessed my peculiar reading posture, and took me to an optometrist, where we found it was time for vision correction. All through elementary school, I wore glasses (bad ones), and survived the kind of taunts you would expect: “four eyes,” “nerd,” “dork.”

Jessica G. in the 4th Grade.

Then I reached high school. As a textbook sullen teen, I decided that I was “soooo over” glasses and begged my parents for contact lenses. They weren’t sure I was ready to take the leap and wanted me to wait a couple more years before graduating to contacts. In a self-defeating act of defiance, I just stopped wearing my glasses. No glasses meant no blackboard in class, which meant that my attention span dropped as my grades followed suit. I began having headaches and eye strain from constantly squinting. But, hey, I thought I looked good.

So when a recently-released joint study by VSP and Prevent Blindness America showed that one in five teenagers have difficulty seeing in class, I believed it. Kids who can’t see what’s on the blackboard in class are at a serious disadvantage, and may be perceived to have learning disabilities or other behavioral problems, when it’s simply an issue of correcting their vision. These kids also often suffer from headaches and other symptoms of vision impairment.

Sight for Students Eyewear

I eventually saw the light, and found a pair of glasses that actually suited me. With the range of great frames out there, this was a lot easier than it was when I was seven. Being able to absorb all aspects of class, both visually and aurally, made me a better student, and my grades recovered.

Increasing numbers of states are beginning to require an optometrist’s exam prior to entering public school, so hopefully the numbers released in the study will be on the upswing, with more kids getting eyecare and eyewear before hitting the classroom. With all of the challenges children encounter during their school years, removing the barrier of vision impairments can give them the extra edge they need to be successful.

Well, maybe not literally. But with the 4th of July just around the corner, it’s important to keep eye safety in mind as you celebrate with your friends and family.

Our friends at Prevent Blindness America just released tips and supporting data to keep you and your kids safer this holiday. According to their release, more than 40 percent of all fireworks injuries were to children under the age of 15.

What can you do to protect your kids’ eyes during fireworks season? Check out Prevent Blindness America’s Web site to learn more.