From bug eyes to a fear of eyes, there is no better time than Halloween to share a few spooky facts about eyes. Some facts are outrageous while some are more serious. Either way, read on for eye-opening truths!
Shark eyes were (not) used in a human transplant.
Here is one of the spooky facts about eyes we can say is a myth! The shark’s corneas are similar to ours, which is cool, but eye transplants are still human-to-human only.
Crazy side note—if cross-species donation became possible, pigs would be our leading candidate for corneal transplants—not sharks!
More than meets the eye with pirates and their patches.
Pirates were not often hiding empty eye sockets under those eye patches. Instead, they had a scientific reason for wearing them! They used the eye patch to help them quickly adjust to changing light conditions.
There is a phobia of the eyes.
Known as ommatophobia, it tends to be rare. Typically, a fear of the eyes develops after someone witnesses or experiences a traumatic eye injury, which leads us right into our next unusual eye fact.
Hospitals are seeing an increase in eye trauma patients.
According to reports, hospitals have seen an 18 percent increase in eye trauma patients the past 13 years. Primarily, patients are coming in with orbital fractures. A black eye is the second most common injury seen.
There’s an eerie link between sleep habits and glaucoma.
A recent study by the Journal of Glaucoma showed people aged 40 and older were more likely to get glaucoma if they did one of three things. First, sleeping more than 10 hours each night was an indicator.
Second was falling asleep too quickly—as in less than 10 minutes after going to bed. The third thing was not falling asleep quickly enough, meaning it took more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.
Cloudy eyes equal cataracts.
Some spooky facts about eyes do end in good news! For example, while the gray cloudiness over the eye lens (a result of cataracts) looks unsettling, it can typically be corrected with surgery.
A gray ring can develop around your cornea.
Turns out, graying can happen to more than hair. In this case, it goes hand-in-hand with high cholesterol and triglycerides. If you have a gray ring around your cornea, you should talk to your doctor.
Oily skin can lead to some ugly bumps.
Oily skin could make you prone to hard, painless masses on your eyelid known as chalazions. Usually, thanks to a blocked oil gland, they develop quickly and last for a few days.
We may have bugs on our eyes!
Did you know there are two types of mites that live on the human face? Both like hair follicles. So, that means we can have eyelash and eyebrow mites! Spooky for sure!
Summary
No matter how you look at it, these spooky facts about eyes say a lot! As always, we recommend keeping an eye out for any changes you may notice when it comes to your vision and your eyes. Remember, when it’s time for you next eye exam or if you have any concerns, come see us.
For more intriguing eye news, check out our other blogs. Happy Halloween from Mississippi Eye Care!
