Our eyes are weird and wonderful things, and often something we take for granted. If we are lucky, every day we wake up and can see the world around us. We get to experience a multitude of sights, watch our favorite shows, read our favorite books, amongst many other activities. We heavily rely on our sight, but do we know much about it?
For those who are interested in some facts about your eyes, read on, and be prepared to amaze people at socially distanced Christmas gatherings with your new-found knowledge.
Contacts Cannot Get Lost Behind Your Eye
Let us start with this one, as it is not only a mortifying thought to have a contact stuck behind your eyeball, but it is also physically impossible. That’s it, and you can breathe now.
Contact lenses can get dislodged, but there are not that many places it can go. You will need to locate the missing contact to push it toward the front of your eye, but this will be either from the side of your eyeball or under your eyelid. Reading this now, we are not sure if that is much of a comfort.
However, often, this is not even a painful or uncomfortable process either, so there is no need to worry if you are concerned it might happen to you!
Parts of the Eye Can Get Sunburned
Another horrifying thought, your eyeball can become sunburned when exposed to too many UV rays. You might wonder how on earth you are supposed to stop that when sunscreen is not an option, as anyone who has ever got sunscreen accidentally in their eye will know. That and anyone over the age of 6.
Turns out, sunglasses are not just a fun fashion accessory to help you look like a celebrity on a grocery run or lessen the harsh lights caused by a hangover, no! They are, in fact, very nifty protective gear. Sunglasses block the UV rays which can cause your eyes to get sore, become itchy, painful, or blurry, and can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts too. All while looking super cool.
Babies See in Black, White, and Red
Similar to old age comics, babies see the world in black, white, and red. This not only sounds super edgy but also holds an interesting reason too. The ability to see color develops along with the baby, as the cones in the eyes (photoreceptor cells) which are responsible for detecting color are too weak to pick up colors. As development continues, so does the number of colors they can detect. After a few months, babies will be able to see both red and green, and not long after, be able to distinguish the difference between yellow and blue.
Whole Eye Transplants are On the Way
If the future is not ‘space-age’ enough for you, this will surely hit the mark. By 2026, transplant surgeons are hoping to be able to provide whole eye transplants in humans, using eyes from deceased donors. Considering how complicated an eye is, along with all of the nerve endings, muscles, and blood vessels, it sounds wild that this could be even achieved. However, recent advances in research, surgical techniques, and immunosuppressive drugs have rendered this a very real possibility for the near future.
