Diwali, the festival of lights is not just limited to food and fun. People burst crackers despite a ban, leading to severe pollution in the morning. Severe smog blanketed the national capital, and smoke has led to almost zero visibility. According to the real-time data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, Delhi's air quality index, or AQI has soared to 359 at 6:30 am, which falls under the "very poor" category.

The AQI on the morning of Diwali was at 328.

Many residents have complained of eye irritation and allergies due to smoke and dust. While you may overlook these discomforts during the festivities - symptoms like dryness, itchiness, and redness can intensify afterward causing a lot of trouble, especially among children.

According to doctors, these symptoms signal inflammation and may cause significant discomfort, potentially triggering allergic reactions, and endangering children’s eyes. “Bright lights, sparklers, and fireworks can all be quite dangerous. These are the crucial actions parents should take to guarantee their child's eye safety this holiday season,” Dr. Mubashir Parkar, Consultant Ophthalmologist, at Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital, told Times Now.

Apart from dryness and itching, dust particles and smoke emissions negatively impact your glands responsible for eye moisture, resulting in excessive dryness and discomfort. It also leads to severe redness and watering, resulting in the overproduction of tears that act as an inflammatory substance.

Children suffer the most from allergic reactions from irritants found in fumes, vapours, and even household dust.

According to Dr. Parkar, a few ways you can manage the children’s eyes post-Diwali to steer them clear of the after-effects of pollution include:

If you notice any symptoms of eye injuries - actively seek medical help. Get medical help right once if you think you may have an eye injury. Never try to cure eye injuries by yourself.

Dr. Parkar underscores the importance of hydration as it prevents the skin as well as the eyes from drying out. It also helps restore the moisture barrier in the eyes and minimize further irritation.

Maintaining this hydration routine after Diwali can prevent excessive dryness and soothe eye discomfort.

As a start, make sure to use artificial tears, so your eyes are well lubricated, and drink enough water to prevent dehydration.

If the children insist on bursting crackers, choose fireworks that are considered safe and authorized by the local government if you intend to use them. Check for labels stating that the fireworks meet safety standards. “Fireworks that are homemade or have confusing labels should be avoided as they may be more harmful,” he added.

Children should always be watched when near pyrotechnics. Make sure they know that handling sparklers and other fireworks is only appropriate for adults. For firework displays, keep a safe distance and set up a special location away from kids and animals.

Keep safety eyeglasses handy when kids are near fireworks or bright lights and encourage them to wear safety glasses. As prevention is always better than cure, protecting their eyes from sparks and debris by using safety goggles can greatly lower the chance of harm.

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