VSP and 15 Fun Eye Facts You Probably Didn’t Know!

Posted by: West Georgia Eye Care Center in Frontpage Article on July 24, 2018

Lists that are interesting to read are popping up everywhere! Social Media has more lists than you can list!  We even found a fun-to-read list on the website of VSP (a popular vision insurance plan).  This list from the VSP website features 15 things you may not know about your eyes:

Eyes: 15 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Them

You’ve had your peepers since you were born, so you may think you know them pretty well, but here are some fun facts you may not know about eyes:

  1. The average blink lasts for about 1/10th of a second.
  2. While it takes some time for most parts of your body to warm up to their full potential, your eyes are on their “A game” 24/7.
  3. Eyes heal quickly. With proper care, it only takes about 48 hours for the eye to repair a corneal scratch.
  4. Seeing is such a big part of everyday life that it requires about half of the brain to get involved.
  5. Newborns don’t produce tears. They make crying sounds, but the tears don’t start flowing until they are about 4-13 weeks old.
  6. Around the world, about 39 million people are blind and roughly 6 times that many have some kind of vision impairment.
  7. Doctors have yet to find a way to transplant an eyeball. The optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain is too sensitive to reconstruct successfully.
  8. The cells in your eye come in different shapes. Rod-shaped cells allow you to see shapes, and cone-shaped cells allow you to see color.
  9. You blink about 12 times every minute.
  10. Your eyes are about 1 inch across and weigh about 0.25 ounce.
  11. Some people are born with two differently colored eyes. This condition is heterochromia.
  12. Even if no one in the past few generations of your family had blue or green eyes, these recessive traits can still appear in later generations.
  13. Each of your eyes has a small blind spot in the back of the retina where the optic nerve attaches. You don’t notice the hole in your vision because your eyes work together to fill in each other’s blind spot.
  14. Out of all the muscles in your body, the muscles that control your eyes are the most active.
  15. 80% of vision problems worldwide are avoidable or even curable.

(reprinted from the VSP website vsp.com)

VSP provides coverage for some types of vision exams, glasses and contact lenses and discounts on some elective eye procedures. Contact your VSP benefits advisor for specific questions regarding your plan’s provisions.

MORE HELP:

  • If you have additional questions about using your VSP optical benefits in our Optical Shops, please call West Georgia Optical at 706-323-0149 for assistance.
  • For VSP questions regarding eye exams at West Georgia Eye Care Center, please contact Sandra Eldridge at 706-507-7535.
  • Need to know about VSP and iLASIK at West Georgia Eye Care Center? Call Misty Kearney at 706-507-7528!
SHARE