A Snowball in The face is Not Always the Perfect Beginning to a Lasting Friendship
The quote “A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship” belongs to Australian author Markus Zusak with German and Austrian ancestry who is well-known for writing The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger, two international best-sellers. Well, the truth is completely the opposite. A snowball can carry dirt, debris, and rocks that can cause serious injuries when they hit someone’s face. Making others aware of this fact is certainly a better way to build lasting friendships. School closings and delays during winter snow storms increase the risk of eye injuries among youngsters.
Despite the rarity of snowball injuries, effective prevention is still necessary. Snowballs should be thrown at low-lying body parts rather than faces if you like to play and fight in the snow. Symptoms of a snowball face or eye injury may not show up for several days. The injuries may result in irreversible structural damage to the ocular structures.
An interesting case was presented in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (2022) about a 25-year-old Asian Indian woman presented with day-long blurred eyesight and increasing redness. Ten days prior, she appeared to have a right eye injury from playing in the snow. At that time, she was symptom-free. Her Snellen chart uncorrected visual acuity was 20/20 in both of her eyes. Both eyes’ intraocular pressures were within normal limits. She was found to have normal vision in her left eye and traumatic anterior uveitis and mydriasis in her right eye. There was no proof that the posterior portion was involved. Her anterior chamber inflammation decreased after receiving topical steroids, but she continued to experience mydriasis, which had no impact on her near vision.
Preventing a snowball-related eye injury is necessary. Discussing safety requirements with kids, family, and friends involved in playing in the snow and planning, sufficient preparation, and the use of the right tools will help you avoid the majority of snowball-related injuries. For extra vigilance, be sure you’re wearing the appropriate eye protection. Regular eyeglasses do not provide adequate eye protection, and in rare situations, if they break, they may exacerbate an injury. The best way to prevent snowballs-in-the-face injuries is to wear a helmet with a polycarbonate face mask.