BB Guns Can Cause Serious Injuries, Especially to the Eyes

BB guns are not toys and can cause serious injuries, especially to the eyes, says a New York emergency medicine specialist.

“It doesn’t require a very significant projectile if you get hit in the eye to do a lot of damage to it,” said Michael Guttenberg, DO, director of emergency medicine at Forest Hills Hospital.

More than 3,000 children were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2012 for eye injuries related to BB guns, air guns, pellet guns and paintball guns, according to a recent study by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

“Getting hit by a BB gun pellet can cause a lot of soft tissue injury and bruising,” said Dr. Guttenberg. “If it’s fairly close range and the pellet is strategically placed, it can penetrate the skin. “

Last month, two Long Island teens were shot by 20-year-old man using a BB gun. One teen was shot in the chin and required surgery to remove a BB pellet, the other had to have surgery to remove a pellet from his nasal cavity.

For parents thinking of buying such a gun for their teen or adolescent, Dr. Guttenberg has one response: Why?

“I’m just not sure why people need them other than for ‘target practice’ and hunting small game,” said Dr. Guttenberg. “They don’t have a lot of redeeming quality.”