{"id":69089,"date":"2023-12-20T23:15:57","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T23:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talkcelnews.com\/?p=69089"},"modified":"2023-12-20T23:15:57","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T23:15:57","slug":"watch-out-for-cork-accidents-this-festive-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talkcelnews.com\/lifestyle\/watch-out-for-cork-accidents-this-festive-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch out for cork accidents this festive season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Corks can explode from festive fizz at up to 50 miles per hour and are capable of causing permanent eye damage, warn experts.<\/p>\n

Pressure in a 750ml bottle of sparkling wine is about three times that of a standard car tyre.<\/p>\n

The cork can travel to the eye in less than 0.05 seconds, making blinking useless.<\/p>\n

Ethan Waisberg, from Cambridge University\u2019s Department of Ophthalmology, and colleagues say the warning may seem overly cautious but cork eye injuries are an often overlooked and a substantial threat to optical health.<\/p>\n

The retina can become detached, the lens dislocated and it can even lead to permanent blindness.<\/p>\n

Academics suggest chilling the bottle before opening to reduce pressure, pointing it safely away at a 45-degree angle and pressing down on the cork. If injured, see an ophthalmologist quickly.<\/p>\n

The researchers suggest warning labels and alternative packaging materials, such as a screw cap.<\/p>\n

They point to cyclist Biniam Girmay who in 2022 opened a bottle of prosecco to celebrate his Giro d\u2019Italia stage win and the cork hit his eye, forcing him to withdraw from the race.<\/p>\n

The authors, writing in the BMJ, urged people to toast the arrival of 2024 but added: \u201cThe goal of this article is to ensure that you don\u2019t begin the New Year on the operating table of an eye surgeon.”<\/p>\n