Month: September 2022

In case you couldn’t tell, TriCounty Eye Associates loves eyes. That is probably the understatement of the year. We wanted to compile a list of some interesting facts about your Eyes we thought you might want to know.

1. Your eyes can distinguish approximately 10 million different colors

The human eye has photoreceptors that determine what colors you can see and how you see them. You absorb light through your eyes and the wavelengths dictate what color the cones in our eyes see. Then our eyes send signals to your brain and our brain puts together the images.

2. The only Organ more complex than the eye is your brain

This one is really crazy to think about, especially when you think about the size of your eyeballs versus the size of your brain. These organs work together to help you see. Anyone else who thought the second most complex organ was the heart raises your hand!

3. Your iris has 256 unique characteristics, in contrast, your fingerprint has only 40

Does your cell phone have face identification on it? The technology used to unlock smartphones is a great example of how unique your eyes are. Everyone has so many different characteristics in their eye, good luck trying to open someone else’s phone!

4. Only 1/6 of your eyeball is visible

Let’s look back at number 2, while your eyes are incredibly complex organs, they are also much bigger than the part we can see from the outside. There is a lot of your eye that cannot be seen which is one of the many reasons going to the eye doctor is so important. There are things your optometrist will catch with your eye exam that can indicate current or future issues because they can use technology to see the back of your eye.

5. Your eyes can focus on 50 different objects every second

Not only is your eye bigger than you think and more complex in its makeup, but its also way smarter than you realize. It is possible for your eyes to focus on 50 different objects every second. That is pretty amazing if you ask me, especially considering my brain seems to only be able to focus on one thing at a time!

These are only a few interesting and important facts about your eyes that we wanted to share with you. In order to keep your eyes working in tip top condition and to catch any eye problems as early as possible make sure to make your yearly eye appointment with us at TriCounty Eye Associates.

We look forward to serving you and your eyes!

Pink Eye is a condition that most of us have had at some point in our lives. It is especially prevalent in schools affecting mostly kiddos. The last few years of  at home learning may have curbed the number of cases. With most things getting back to normal after the Pandemic, we thought it would be a good idea to re-visit this topic.

What is it?

The proper name for Pink Eye is Conjunctivitis and it will cause the eye to become pink and irritated. It causes inflammation of the membrane that covers the eye and lines the insides of the eyelid which is technically called the Conjunctiva. The different types of causes of pink eye are:

• Viruses
• Allergens
• Bacteria

This is an eye issue that can resolve itself after some time. It will clear up when the infection is gone, or the allergic reaction has stopped. Unless it lasts an unusual amount of time you can probably treat it at home.

Do’s

Some at home treatments that can help are:

• A cool compress – this option can help to soothe the irritation caused by pink eye. You can use a clean damp cloth that you have refrigerated as a cool compress. Make sure not to reuse the same cloth without washing it.
• Eye Drops – over-the-counter options like artificial tears can help to soothe the discomfort as well as to clear out any allergens that could be causing the irritation.
• Pain relievers – sometimes over-the-counter ibuprofen can help to relieve the pain.
• Avoid touching – this might be the most important and the hardest to stick to. Pink eye can be highly contagious so if you touch your eye and then touch other things in your home the virus can spread to others. Make sure to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your eye at all costs.

Don’ts

While there are some passed down remedies that you may have heard of for Pink Eye, we want to clear the air on some at-home treatments that are a bad idea:

• Breast Milk – this is an old wives tale, breast milk will not cure Pink Eye
• Visine – in some cases eye drops can make Pink Eye worse. Artificial tears are the only kind we would recommend to flush out allergens
• Urine – do we really need to mention this?

Call us!

As always, if symptoms persist longer than a week, make an appointment with us here at TriCounty Eye Associates and we will be able to help determine the cause and get you some relief.