As humans, we use our eyes all day, every day. We rely on them to show us the world around us and keep us safe from dangers. However, despite all this, many of us don’t actually know many facts about the eye and they tend to get overlooked (pun intended). The human eye is a fascinating body part that there are actually a lot of cool facts about.
There are many parts including the iris, retina, cornea, and tear ducts. Most people know the general facts about your eyes like the common eye colors of brown and blue, stats about vision, how people wear glasses or contact lenses, and how the eye generally works, but there are plenty of amazing facts about eyes that go unknown by most. However, they might not realize how complex the eye actually is so here are five cool facts about eyes that you might not know.
- Despite the old wives’ tale that your eyes remain the same size your whole life, your eyeballs do actually grow as you do according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Many people believe that you are born with your eyes one size and they stay that size for the rest of your life, but, actually, they do grow as the rest of your face grows. They start as one size when you are a baby, around 15 – 16.5 millimeters wide, and keep growing until you hit puberty. Your eyes grow a large amount in your first two years of life and then the final growth spurt is at puberty. The usual maximum measurement of an eyeball is about 24 millimeters wide. So, contrary to popular belief, your eyes do actually grow in size and it is not just your face around them getting bigger. This is just one of the many fun facts about the eye.
- With so many muscles in our bodies, it can be hard to think of which one is moving the fastest. You might be surprised to learn that your eye muscles are the fastest muscles in your body. If you think about it, it makes sense because our eyes are constantly moving to look at things and opening and closing to blink. They don’t stay still for longer than a second except for maybe while we sleep. Additionally, while they are making these motions, they are doing so at a rapid pace. Your eyes are not only looking at the objects and people in front of you but also at things peripherally. This is what is referred to as your peripheral vision and it means your eyes are doing double the work at all times. Eyes also have other jobs like producing tears to keep your eyes moist and for crying. This is what makes the eye muscles the fastest moving muscles in our bodies.
- Another fun fact that contributes to your eye muscles being the fastest moving muscles in the body is how often you blink. If you think about it, how many times have you blinked in the past minute? 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Actually, you blink about 15-20 times per minute on average. There are certain activities that affect the frequency of your blinking. For instance, you actually blink more when talking and less when reading. Interestingly enough, looking at a computer for a long period of time can lead to less blinking which will lead to uncomfortable, dry eyes. To prevent dry eyes and other symptoms of Digital Eye Strain (also known as Computer Vision Syndrome), it might be time to consider a pair of Blue Light blocking glasses like the ones sold at Felix Gray. These glasses filter impactful Blue Light and help curb symptoms of Digital Eye Strain making you blink more and feel better!
- Everyone knows the feeling of coming home from the beach and feeling crispy from too much time in the sun, but did you know that your eyes can get sunburnt too? Yep, it’s true, your eyeballs can be damaged by the harsh rays of the sun just as much as the rest of your body. Too much fun in the sun can cause damage to parts of the eye called the cornea and conjunctiva, which can cause redness, pain, swelling, or the feeling of something in your eye. This is not healthy for your eyes and you should take safety measures to prevent this. To do this you can wear sunglasses while in the sun to protect your eyes from UV rays. Felix Gray makes stylish and functional sunglasses that can help to prevent your eyes from getting sunburnt while you’re out enjoying yourself in the sunshine. The lenses filter Blue Light to enhance color and they feature a thin polarized lens for a great wearing experience. These glasses can help you keep your eye health in check.
- Organ donation and transplantation are topics that are often talked about. As major organs, you might think that eyes would be included as some of the first to go when they are needed, especially for those who are blind or have suffered other eye injuries that could also warrant needing an eye transplantation. However, eyes cannot yet be transplanted from one person to another. Cornea transplants are currently possible, but not full eye transplant surgery. These types of transplants are not simple at all because of the numerous amounts of blood vessels, nerves, and muscles that need to connect to the optic nerve in order for everything to go smoothly. This all has to connect accurately so that signals from your eyes can be sent to the brain to be interpreted as visual images. This is constantly being improved and studied because of the immense medical advancements and science of today. When thinking of interesting facts about eyes, eye transplants and their growth should now come to mind.
Overall, there are plenty of generic facts about eyes, but these are five interesting eye facts that you might not have known already. The eye is a small part of the body, but it is quite complex when actually looked into. The eyes are an important part of your body even though they are tiny so they require care. The conditions of your eyes are vital to your overall body health so it is important to practice good eye care. These eye facts show that there is more to the eye than appears at first glance.