Trust offers tips on cork safety

Consumers of champagne are being advised by the Eyecare Trust to consult their optometrist immediately if hit in the eye by a champagne cork.

The charity reported that scores of people sustained serious eye injuries each year from champagne corks travelling at over 60 miles per hour, and revealed how some incidents even resulted in permanent vision loss. Eyecare Trust chairman Iain Anderson commented: 'The size and shape of a cork neatly fits into an eye socket so it can inflict serious damage to the internal and external structures of the eye. Typical injuries can range from bloodshot and black eyes to detached retinas and intraocular haemorrhages and it can even lead to the onset of glaucoma as a result of changes to the pressure inside the eye.'