Eye doctors warn against poking your eyes out with champagne cork

**Jenna** · 12-28-12, 12:46 PM

The nation’s top ophthalmologist group has a warning for celebrants planning to pop open a champagne bottle this time of year: It’s all fun and games until someone pokes an eye out.The American Academy of Ophthalmology issued an announcement this month saying “improper cork-removal techniques cause serious, potentially blinding eye injuries each year.”

The organization urges sparkling wine and champagne drinkers to chill the bottle to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or colder before opening, because warm bottles are more likely to pop open unexpectedly. The academy also asks that people refrain from shaking the bottle, which, as most bottle shakers know, builds up the pressure behind the cork and, therefore, the speed at which the projectile launches.Other tips on healthy champagne opening? Point the bottle at a 45-degree angle “away from yourself and any bystanders,” and cover the cork with the palm of your hand while untying the wire hood on the bottle. The academy asks celebrants to cover the entire top with a towel during the subsequent removal, applying pressure to the cork as the seal breaks to control its release from the bottle.Also, corkscrews are a no-no.

Eye doctors warn of champagne: You could poke an eye out with that — State — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine