Pop a Bottle of Champagne Carefully as It can Damage the Eye

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has issued a word of caution while popping a bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine as removing the cork from warm bottles of Champagne can cause severe injuries to the eye and even blindness if it is not done properly. Unbelievable as it may seem, the pressure inside a bottle is potent enough to launch a cork at 50 miles per hour. This speed of a cork is sufficient to damage the eye and even cause blindness.

Dr. Monica, an ophthalmologist has warned, "When a Champagne cork flies, you really have no time to react and protect your delicate eyes. Uncontrolled Champagne corks can lead to painful eye injuries and devastating vision loss. We don't want anyone to end up ringing in the year on an ophthalmologist's surgery table."

Some of the eye injuries from a flying cork can dislocate the lens, cause retinal detachment, rupture of the eye wall, acute glaucoma, and ocular bleeding. In some cases, these injuries require emergency eye surgery or can lead to blindness in the damaged eye.

Always point the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from people and yourself. While removing the wire hood on the bottle, hold the cork down with your palm.

It is safe to close the top of the bottle with a towel and grasp the cork. If you have to break the seal, hold the cork at a 45 degree angle and twist the cork. Use downward pressure to counter the force of the cork as it breaks free from the bottle.

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Source-Medindia