At Nilsen Eye Care, we take vision and eye care very seriously. But there is no reason why we can’t have a little fun sharing some extraordinary facts about your amazing eyes. Here are 15 of our favorites. How many did you know?

1. You actually see with your brain, not your eyes. Our eyes function like a camera, capturing light and sending data back to the brain.‍

2. You see things upside down – it is your brain that turns the image right side up.

3. Although our nose and ears keep growing throughout our lives, our eyes remain the same size from birth.

4. The human eye only sees three colors: red, blue and green. All other colors are combinations of these.

5. The eye is the fastest muscle in your body – that’s why when something happens quickly, we say ‘in the blink of an eye!’

6. On average, we blink 5.2 million times in a year.

7. After the brain, your eyes are the second most complex organ in your body.

8. Most of us know that everyone’s fingerprint is unique. But “iris recognition” is now being used for security purposes instead. Here is why: your fingerprint has 40 unique characteristics, while your iris has more than 240.

9. About half of the human brain is dedicated to vision and seeing.

10. In an average lifetime, one’s eyes will see 24 million different images.

11. Our eyes have small blind spots where the optic nerve passes through the retina, and our brains use the information from the other eye to fill this gap.

12. It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

13. Our eyes close automatically to protect us from perceived dangers.

14. The function of tears is to keep your eyes clean and bring nourishment to the cornea, but scientists still haven’t figured out why we cry when we’re emotional.

15. 80% of vision problems worldwide are avoidable.

If you only remember one of these facts, we hope it is the last one. Our vision is key to enhancing the quality of our lives as well as simply functioning day to day. Imagine the challenges of doing simple tasks, like making a cup of coffee, without the benefit of sight. And for just one moment consider all that we would miss without vision — from our baby’s first smile to a gorgeous sunset.

Here is another list that we would like to share —
five things you can do to help protect and preserve your precious gift of sight:

1. Monitor and control your blood pressure

2. Manage your blood sugar level and diabetes, if present

3. Wear sunglasses when you’re outdoors to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) light

4. Don’t smoke

5. Stay active — walking just a mile every day will help you maintain cardiovascular health and support healthy vision

You routinely visit the dentist twice a year to maintain your oral health. It may surprise you to learn that an annual eye exam is just as important — even if you have 20/15 vision. Many serious eye disorders have no symptoms and can only be detected through an examination — and it’s no exaggeration to say that an eye exam could save your life. While assessing your visual acuity and evaluating the health of your eyes, your eye care professional also can spot signs of various other medical issues from diabetes to autoimmune disorders.

Take care of your incredible peepers—and your health—with a comprehensive annual eye exam.