5 Eye-Mazing Facts

One of the most powerful and complex organs in the body, the eyes are a fascinating part of human biology that not many outside optometrists know much about it. That’s why we’ve rounded up 5 eye-mazing facts about your peepers guaranteed to have you blinking in amazement. 

1. Brown is the most common eye colour in the world

Experts estimate that 70-79% of the global population have brown eyes. It’s about 8-10% for blue blinkers and just 2% for green eyes.

2. People with blue eyes share a common ancestor with every other blue-eyed person in the world

After the first person to have blue eyes was born with a gene that couldn’t produce enough melanin to make them brown, the resulting DNA sequence has been passed down to every blue-eyed person ever since. This means every person that roams the planet with blue eyes today can be traced back to this single ancestor, more than 6,000 to 10,000 years before!

3. Dogs can’t distinguish between red and green

All dogs have a condition called deuteranopia (the inability to know the difference between green and red) since they were first descended from wolves who didn’t need to differentiate between these colours when they were most active at dusk and dawn. 

4. If you put on a pair of glasses that flipped images upside down, your brain would work to correct your vision

Your brain works hard to process all the information that your eyes collect. So, if you were able to magically land your hands on a special pair of glasses that flipped everything you saw upside down, over time your brain would learn to process the information differently – and flip everything the right way again.

5. Humans blink on average 17 times a minute… and over 5 million times a year!

Ever become suddenly fascinated with how often you’re blinking? Well, experts say that on average, you blink around 17 times a minute. If you add that up during the course of the year, that’s about 5.2 million times over the full 365 days…

How to care for your eyes: 3 tips

Eye trivia aside, your eyes are actually a very important part of your health; just as it is important to keep your body healthy, you also need to keep your eyes healthy. Here are 3 ways how:

1. Eating a balanced diet

A healthy and balanced diet is key to optimal eye health, especially fish that’s high in omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Looking after your contact lenses properly to prevent eye infections

As well as washing your hands before you put in or remove your contact lenses, follow the instructions on how to properly clean them, and replace them when they need changing over.

3. Giving your eyes a rest

If you spend the majority of your day on a computer, try the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eyestrain: every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds.

With these five eye-mazing facts, you’ll soon be on your way to knowing even more than your regular optician!