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Did You Know?

Here are a few interesting facts about eyes and vision that everyone should know.

Changing Light

Changes in lighting conditions throughout the day can significantly affect one’s visual acuity and visual comfort.

The Dark Side of the Sun:

• While 79% of people know that the sun causes skin cancer, only 6% know it can harm the eyes.
• The sun does not need to feel hot to damage your skin and eyes. The damage is done by UV radiation, which is not seen or felt – so don’t be fooled by mild temperatures or cloudy days.
• The higher the altitude, the fewer UV rays are absorbed. That means there are more UV rays to damage your skin and eyes when you’re skiing, living in or visiting high-altitude regions.

Children’s Eyes:

• Vision problems affect one in twenty preschoolers and one in four school aged children.
• UV exposure at an early age can be the most damaging in the long-term as the human eye is still developing through childhood and adolescence.
• Children's eyes are more susceptible to UV exposure because the lens in their eye is clearer. With age, lenses darken and tend to block more UV light to the back of the eye.
• 75 percent of learning before the age of five is through sight.
• Children are two times more likely to wear sunscreen than they are sunglasses to protect from the sun's harmful radiation.
• 90% of traumatic eye injuries in children are preventable with the correct use of safety eyewear.
• One in four children has an undetected vision problem that can interfere with learning.
• The lenses in children's eyes do not block as much UV radiation as they do in adults' eyes, putting them at increased risk for sun damage to the eyes.

The Cumulative Effects of UV Exposure:

• As the damaging effects of UV rays are cumulative - extended exposure over many years can increase your risk of cataracts later in life.
• Some 16 million people worldwide are currently blind as a result of cataracts; of these, The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 20% may be due to UV radiation exposure.
• Constant exposure to bright sunlight can damage the cornea, lens and retina.
• By the year 2030, twice as many people will be blind as are today. Macular degeneration will continue to be the leading cause of blindness.
• Five percent of all cataract-related disease burden is directly attributable to UVR exposure.(WHO)
• Sustained ozone depletion and enhanced levels of UV radiation on Earth will aggravate UV effects on the human skin, eyes and immune system.

The Importance of Eye Exams:

• 50% of vision loss can be prevented with an eye exam
• Early identification and treatment of diabetic retinopathy can reduce severe visual loss by 60%
• Did you know that eye tests don't just test your eyes - they can also pick up high blood pressure, liver damage and 200 other conditions? Source: http://www.healthyeyes.org.uk
• High doses of zinc and antioxidant vitamins – antioxidants being molecules that can help maintain health cells and tissues in the eye, such as vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene – can have a positive effect on the progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
• Healthy vision is related to the health of the individual parts of the eye – the cornea, iris, macula, lens, optic nerve, pupil, retina and the vitreous humor. And making good ocular nutrition and eye health food choices are one of the ways that good vision can be supported.

Other Interesting Eye Facts:

• Common eye conditions and diseases like dry eye syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and certain forms of cataracts are more prevalent in women than in men
• Women usually have better night vision, can see better at the red end of the light spectrum, and have better visual memory.
• The risk of cataracts can be lowered by eating 3 ½ servings of fruits or vegetables a day
• The external muscles that move the eyes are the strongest muscles in the human body for the job that they have to do. They are 100 times more powerful than they need to be.
• Our eyes are composed of more than two million working parts.