Be careful opening your champagne this Christmas or risk going BLIND: Eye surgeons warn of the dangers of corks that ‘pop’ at up to 55mph
- Former Love Island star Theo Campbell was blinded in one eye by a popped cork
- The 28-year-old endured the injury in Ibiza in August and was rushed to hospital
- Dr Amir Hamid, based in London, warned of the dangers this Christmas period
You may not think cracking open a bottle of bubbly this Christmas to celebrate the festivities could leave you scarred for life.
But a leading surgeon has today warned you could end up needing surgery or even go blind, if a cork pops into your eye.
Dr Amir Hamid, a consultant for eye care specialist Optegra, revealed corks can travel of speeds of up to 55mph (89kph).
His warning comes after former Love Island star Theo Campbell revealed he was blind in one eye after being hit by a champagne cork.
Former Love Island star Theo Campbell revealed he was blind in one eye after being hit by a champagne cork
The 28-year-old endured the freak injury in Ibiza in August. He was rushed to hospital and friends said it ‘looked like his eye had exploded’.
Warning of the dangers this Christmas, London-based Dr Hamid said: ‘Ophthalmic A&E is an incredibly busy place of the winter months.
‘And at Christmas, we treat many people who fall victim to a misguided “pop” of a champagne cork.
‘While human biology means the eyeball is designed to be protected by the eye socket bones, small and fast-flying champagne corks are smaller than that area and can cause great damage as they hit the eyes.
‘As it travels at such speed, up to 55 miles an hour, it can cause damage and bruising to the cornea – the outer layer of the eye – as well as more extensive damage to the very fragile inner parts of the eye. Some of these cases may well require surgery to fix.’
![Dr Amir Hamid, a consultant for eye care specialist Optegra, revealed corks can travel of speeds of up to 55mph (89kph)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/12/20/15/22501298-0-image-a-2_1576857173810.jpg)
Dr Amir Hamid, a consultant for eye care specialist Optegra, revealed corks can travel of speeds of up to 55mph (89kph)
Campbell, who appeared on the 2017 series of the ITV2 show, has since been seen wearing an eye patch. He underwent two operations.
A previous study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology looked at 12,899 cases of eye injuries caused by carbonised drinks and found that champagne corks are responsible for the majority.
The study said: ‘Among bottle tops, the champagne bottle cork remains the main culprit.
‘A 750 ml champagne bottle contains 4.125 litres of carbon dioxide with a pressure of 6.2 bar—almost three times higher than a typical car tyre’s, this can shoot the 30g cork up to 13m.
‘The blinking reflex offers no help: from the typical opening distance of 60cm, the cork needs less than 0.05 seconds to reach the eye.’
Gavin Kean, from winemaker Chapel Down, advised partygoers to ensure all champagne bottles are opened facing away from people.
He added that chilling them to the correct temperature of six to ten degrees C helps reduce the risk of the cork popping too quickly.
Mr Kean said: ‘Tilt the bottle at a 30 degree angle. Grip the cork and use the other hand to grip base of the bottle. Turn the bottle not the cork – the sound should be a quiet ‘phhhuut’ and not a pop and exploding cork.’
NHS data shows that last winter eye problems were in the top 10 reasons for A&E visits, with misdirected champagne corks falling within those emergencies.
Studies have suggested that champagne bottle corks are responsible for up to 20 per cent of such injuries in the US.