Why is eye health so important?

Many of us go through life taking our vision for granted. When our eyes are healthy we may not stop to appreciate the magic of seeing a grandchild’s smile or the flowers blooming in our garden. But around 80% of our memories are determined by what we see.1 Surely, we would want to do everything we can to take care of our eye health to keep making lasting memories.

Around 80% of our memories are determined by what we see.1

Many of the complex structures of the eye do not undergo processes of biological renewal.2 That means, unlike the skin which is constantly renewing, there are parts of the eye that once they are fully developed, do not change. In fact, your eyeballs stay the same size from birth until death while your ears and nose continue to grow!1 This means it is really important to take a proactive approach to eye health.

How Vision Works

Light passes through the outer portion of the eye called the cornea. The cornea starts to focus the light and it passes through the black spot in the center of the eye called the pupil. The pupil changes size to allow more or less light in depending on the environment. On a bright sunny day the pupils will shrink in size, while in a dark, dimly-lit room the pupils will dilate to let in as much light as possible.

The light then passes through the lens which further focuses it on the back of the eye called the retina. The lens changes shape depending on whether we are looking at objects up close or far away in the distance.

The retina is a special membrane along the inside of the eye that contains specialized cells called photoreceptors. When light reaches these photoreceptor cells, they release signals that are carried along the optic nerve and delivered to the brain. The brain then translates these messages into the images that we see. Vision is a very complex process that relies on the intricate parts of the eye working together with each other and the brain.

Retina: a membrane along the back of the eye, the retina contains specialized cells called photoreceptors.

Cornea: the outermost portion of the front of the eye. It is transparent.

Iris: controls the size of the pupil. This is the portion of the eye that gives it its color.

Lens: located behind the iris, the lens focuses light onto the retina. This portion of the eye is nearly clear but can become clouded with age.

Pupil: allows light to enter the eye. The pupil appears black.

Macula: a region of the retina with a very high concentration of photoreceptor cells. The macula is essential for central vision or looking at objects straight in front of us.

Vitreous Humor: gel-like substance that fills the eyeball, giving the eye its shape.

Optic Nerve: located at the back of the eye ball, the optic nerve sends visual information from the retina to the brain.