Beware of Flying Corks

Many people celebrate the new year by popping a bottle of champagne, but be extra cautious if you are the one doing the honors. A hit in the eye with a champagne cork may mean a trip to the emergency room to try and save your sight. "A cork can fly up to 50 miles per hour as it leaves the bottle," said Tamara Fountain, M.D., clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Warm bottles of champagne and poor technique in removing the cork can result in serious, blinding eye injuries. Anything that travels with such momentum can have a devastating effect if it strikes your eye."

Follow these tips to open a bottle of champagne properly:

• Make sure sparkling wine is chilled before opening, as the cork of a warm bottle is more likely to pop unexpectedly.
• Don't shake the bottle. Shaking increases your chances of an eye injury.
• To open the bottle safely, hold down the cork with the palm of your hand while removing the wire hood. Point the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from yourself and people around you.
• Place a towel over the top of the bottle and grasp the cork.
• Keep the bottle at an angle as you slowly and firmly twist the bottle while holding the cork to break the seal. Continue to hold the cork while twisting the bottle until the cork is almost out of the neck. Counter the force of the cork using slight downward pressure just as you feel the cork break free from the bottle.
• Never use a corkscrew to open a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine.

_{Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology, Flying Champagne Corks Are Bad News For Your Eyes. Medical News Today, 17 Dec 2008.}