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Your eyes help you view the world, from seeing loved ones to the beautiful landscapes outdoors. It’s important to appreciate how your eyes never rest and always help you see objects and people.

Here are 15 interesting eyesight facts to help you learn more about the eyes and how they work:

1. On average, you blink 15-20 times each minute. Each blink lasts .1-.4 seconds, and you blink roughly 10% of the time you’re awake.¹ You will have approximately 4,200,000 blinks each year.²
2. The eyes perceive the colors objects reflect. Objects around you will absorb some colors but reflect others. For example, an apple absorbs all colors but red.³
3. Rods and cones help you perceive color. The rods in your eyes help you see black and white as well as perceive light. The cones in your eyes help you see specific colors and give them names such as blue and red.³
4. Photoreceptors in the retina turn light into electric signals and send them to the brain. These signals travel from the retina to the optic nerve, and your brain turns the signals into the images you see.⁴
5. 75% of adults use some form of vision correction. Many adults need glasses as they age to help with everyday tasks such as work, driving, and reading. Signs you need glasses include nearsightedness, farsightedness, clouded vision, seeing halos, and eyestrain.⁵
6. Light enters the pupil. The iris, the colored part of your eye, controls how much light comes in.⁴
7. Men and women see the color red differently. According to a study conducted by the University of Arizona, women see red as more red-orange than men. The reason is your perception of red is attached to a gene connected to the X chromosome.⁶
8. The most common eye color is brown. Only 9% of Americans have green eyes, making it one of the least common eye colors. Around 1 in 4 people have blue eyes.⁷
9. Babies are not born with blue eyes. Melanin is a pigment that gives the eyes their colors, and it can take up to 12 months for the cells to develop melanin.⁸
10. You see everything upside down. It is our brains that correct the images to be right-side up.⁹
11. Having 20/20 vision does not mean your eyes are perfect. It only means that you have excellent central vision. Other types of vision, such as night vision, side vision, or color vision, may be imperfect.¹⁰
12. The eye is the fastest muscle in the body. This fact is the origin of the phrase, “In the blink of an eye.”²
13. The cornea is the only tissue in the human body that does not contain blood vessels. Every other tissue has blood vessels in the body.¹¹
14. Heterochromia is when someone has two different colored eyes. Less than 200,000 people in the United States have heterochromia. Heterochromia can be genetic or caused by an illness.¹²
15. It is a myth that you can lose your contact lens behind the eye. The conjunctiva, a moist lining found in the inner eye, protects the eye from outside substances. It prevents dirt, eyelashes, and other harmful outside particles from getting into the eye.¹²

Take Good Care of Your Eyes

Your eyes help you perceive the world around you each day, and it’s important to care for your eyes. If you or a loved one experiences vision changes with age, we encourage you to see an optometrist for a check-up.

Saber Healthcare is an organization that provides services to more than 115 buildings across the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, Delaware, and Florida. To learn more about our company and services, click here.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

Sources

1. Hersh, Erica. Griff, Ann Marie, ed. “How Many Times Do You Blink In a Day?” Healthline Media. 24 September 2020. Accessed 25 April 2022. Link: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-many-times-do-you-blink-a-day
2. “Interesting Facts About Eyes.” Southwestern Eye Center. 15 August 2014. Accessed 25 April 2022. Link: https://www.sweye.com/blog/optical-care/interesting-facts-about-eyes/
3. “How Do We See Color?” Pantone. Accessed 25 April 2022. Link: https://www.pantone.com/articles/color-fundamentals/how-do-we-see-color#:~:text=The%20human%20eye%20and%20brain,and%20absorbs%20all%20the%20others.
4. “How the Eyes Work.” National Eye Institute. 20 April 2022. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision/how-eyes-work#:~:text=When%20light%20hits%20the%20retina,into%20the%20images%20you%20see.
5. “10 Signs that You Might Need Glasses.” Saber Healthcare Group. 4 December 2021. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/signs-you-need-glasses
6. Crane, Kristin. “10 Fun Facts About Color.” Design Pool. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.designpoolpatterns.com/10-fun-facts-about-color/
7. “Eye Colors.” Cleveland Clinic. 10 June 2021. Link: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21576-eye-colors#:~:text=Brown%2C%20which%20is%20the%20most,United%20States%20have%20green%20eyes.
8. Mukamal, Reena. Natasha L Herz MD and Andrea A Tooley, MD “20 Eye and Vision Myths.” American Academy of Ophthalmology. 28 March 2022. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/common-eye-vision-myths-facts
9. “101 amazing eye facts.” Lenstore Vision Hub. 10 December 2018. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.lenstore.co.uk/eyecare/101-amazing-eye-facts
10. Garvey, Jennifer. “Eye Health: Myths and Facts.” Mayo Clinic Health System. 19 August 2021. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/eye-health-myths-and-facts
11. “17 Insane Facts About Eyes.” ADV Vision Centers. 22 September 2021. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.advvisioncenters.com/eye-health/insane-facts-about-eyes/
12. Biggers, Alana. “Why are my eyes different colors?” MedicalNewsToday. 12 September 2017. Accessed 26 April 2022. Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319389#what-determines-eye-color