To increase awareness about National Eye Healthy and Safety Month this week’s fact will be on the human body’s eye protection. Everyone is aware of the facial features around their child’s eyes and their own, but do you really know what their purpose is? The idea probably never crossed your mind that your body actually has built in eye protection. Before you take extra precaution to protect you child’s eyes these facial features are already hard at work:
- Eye sockets: eyes are located in bony sockets to protect them from being hit
- Eyebrows: used to keep light out of eyes
- Eyelids: eyelids are able to close to keep small objects out
- Eyelashes: also help keep small object out of your eyes
- Tears: keep eyes moist and wash out small particles
- Blink reflex: automatic blink reflex closes eyes helping to shield from unexpected objects coming toward eyes and to help remove objects from the eye.
Facts from University of Washington, image from Business Week.