Did you know that the human eye can see over 10 million different colors?

Most of what we learn comes in through our eyes, in fact, 80% of all learning comes from visual prompts. The eye is the only organ more complex than the brain, and as such it requires the utmost care. The eyes themselves don’t actually see anything, they’re just the messenger, passing information to your brain through the optic nerve, which contains over one million nerve cells. Every second, your eye focuses on over 50 different objects.

That is A LOT of information for a little eyeball to process!

Here are 12 things you didn’t know about the human eye:

• Women are more prone to eye disorders, ⅔ of blindness or visual impairments occur in women.
• The iris (the colored part) has over 256 unique traits. They’re a much better identifier than fingerprints!
• It is impossible to keep your eyes open during a sneeze. We know you’ll try next time you sneeze, but trust us, it’s impossible!
• You cannot lose your contact lenses in the back of your eye because of the structure of the organ.
• The human eye can see at the equivalent of 576 megapixels.
• A corneal scratch can heal in as little as 48 hours.
• Your eyebrows stop sweat dripping into your eyes and your eyelashes protect your eyeballs from dirt and light.
• People read 25% slower on a screen as opposed to paper.
• The cornea does not contain any blood vessels.
• Muscles in your eyes are 100 times stronger than they need to be to perform their function, they are also the fastest contracting muscles in your whole body.
• Your eye muscles are the only ones in your body that can work around the clock without rest.
• The function of tears is to keep your eyes hydrated, scientists don’t really know why we cry when we’re upset.

The importance of taking good care of your eyes should be obvious - How do we do that?

Drinking a lot of water; this is a great way of ensuring your eyes produce enough tears to keep your eyes hydrated. The ‘20-20-20 Rule’ is a great technique when working at a computer - Look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, to give your eyes a rest. Also, make sure you read in a well lit environment. These are some simple ways to take care of your eyes and your eyesight.

What to do in case of an accident?

The most common eye injury for women is hitting the eye with their mascara wand. For men, eye injuries are usually work or sports related.

Corneal lesions can occur when foreign substances, such as dirt or sand enter the eye, producing lacerations.

Trauma (from a concussion) can also alter your vision (as we explained that you don’t actually see with your eyes, but with your brain) and require plenty of rest to be able to heal.

If on occasion, a foreign substance gets into the eye (food, cream, dirt, etc.) it must be washed out with plenty of clean water. In some instances the closest source of clean water will be the tap, but that’s not always the best option. Sterowash, is Steroplast’s sterile saline solution, it has been expertly crafted for the purpose of cleaning out eyes safely.

Our Sterowash kits come ready to use, and can be attached to a wall for easy access. If you’re on the move - sports team or a lone worker - the smaller 20 ml pods can be transported easily in personal first aid kits, a sports bag or even a purse.