Month: June 2017

The old adage is that the eyes are the windows to the soul. While this may or may not be true, one thing is for certain—your eyes can also reveal certain facts about your specific biology. You won’t believe your eyes once you read the following surprising facts.

1. All blue-eyed people share a common ancestor.

Blue eyes are very rare, found only in people with a northern European background. But it might surprise you to learn that these eyes can be traced back to an even more specific region. In fact, the blue-eyed guys and gals of the world owe their unique eyes to a single person.

When humans first evolved, everyone had brown eyes. That all changed due to a mutation in the OCA2 gene, which led to less melanin production in the iris. This specific mutation would have occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago somewhere in the Baltic Sea region. This person would then pass down that trait to millions of people.

2. Certain eye colors are prone to cataracts.

Cataracts occur when the lens of the eyes develop a clouding that impacts vision. It’s comparable to looking through a foggy piece of glass. Some people are more susceptible to developing cataracts than others.

Those with lighter eyes tend to be more prone to developing cataracts, maybe even two and a half times more likely. Researchers believe that people with lighter eyes have less protection from sunlight which can eventually lead to vision problems. However, this claim requires further research as the results are not entirely certain.

3. Cataracts actually aren’t caused by any disease.

Some people might think that cataracts are caused by a virus, bacteria, or other health issues. However, they’re actually caused by aging.

As we age, proteins clump together and harden, clouding our vision and eventually leading to significant vision impairment and potentially blindness. The only way to treat cataracts is to remove them from the eye through a surgical procedure.

4. Brown-eyed people may have faster reaction times.

Researchers have actually tested the reaction times in dark-eyed people versus light-eyed people and found that there actually is a difference. Those with brown eyes performed the best when it came to reacting quickly.

While brown-eyed people had better immediate reactions, those with blue eyes did better on other tests. Blue-eyed people were better at complex tasks like game theory. The differences aren’t major, but they are definitely there.

5. The cornea is actually without blood vessels.

Our corneas are unique in that they don’t contain blood vessels. In fact, that’s the only place in our body that doesn’t get blood. The cornea receives its nutrients from tear ducts and from the aqueous humor.

This is actually an evolutionary trait to ensure we have perfect vision. If we had blood vessels in the cornea, they would obscure our otherwise perfect vision.

6. Our optic nerve creates blind spots.

There’s a blind spot in the eye where the optic nerve attaches so that visual information can be transmitted from the eye to the brain. Because we have no rods or cones in that particular spot thanks to the optic nerve, we all technically have a blind spot in our vision that we cannot detect.

You don’t notice this blind spot because our eyes work together to provide unimpeded vision. The retina of one eye compensates for the blind spot in the other, and vice versa.

Summertime is here and that means trips to the local pool, hiking with friends, and partaking in various sports activities during the weekends. Unfortunately, it also means putting ourselves at risk for injuries. Here are some of the most common injuries doctors see at the Emergency Room during the summer months.

1. Heatstroke

Unsurprisingly, heat-related illnesses are some of the most common doctors encounter during the warmer summer months. When people become dehydrated or suffer from heatstroke, they can experience symptoms like nausea, dizziness, headaches, and confusion. While these illnesses are generally mild, they can become serious if not treated promptly.

In order to prevent these problems, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day (especially if you’re enjoying some adult beverages by the pool or at the beach). Also, make sure that you get out of the sun for a bit and sit in a shaded area to prevent over-exposure.

2. Swimming Injuries and Drowning

Spending time in the water is one of the joys of summer. Sadly, it also results in some of the most serious injuries doctors have to treat. And what’s even sadder is the fact that the majority of drowning deaths happen to young children.

If you’re going to be around water and you have a young child, make sure you are always aware of the pool. Children can run off and be in the water in an instant. By constantly monitoring your child and the pool and ensuring that they are wearing the proper floatation devices, you can immediately respond if something goes wrong.

3. Food Poisoning

Hot summer days and barbecues are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. This leads to a spike in food poisoning that is certainly not pleasant to deal with.

When cooking outside, make sure that meat is cooked all the way through. An easy way to ensure that your meat is cooked to the proper temperature is to utilize a meat thermometer. If you’re going to leave food like fruits, veggies, or potato salad out, try to keep it as cool as possible (or at the very least, try to keep it out of the sun). And before eating the fruits of your grilling labor, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly.

4. Sports-Related Injuries

It’s no surprise that people injure themselves more in the summer months where various sports teams are more active outdoors. Many of us love to get out with our friends and shoot some hoops, play in a softball league, or just toss the football around for exercise. This leads to more sprained ankles, knee injuries, and other problems.

Many sports injuries can be treated at home with the RICE method: rest, ice, compression, elevation. If a problem does not seem to be getting better or you worry that something may be broken, see a medical professional right away.

5. Insect Bites and Skin Irritation

Spending time outside means exposing yourself to a variety of insects and plants that can causes rashes. Most of these bites and rashes are relatively harmless, but some actually carry some serious diseases.

Ticks and mosquitos are two insects you need to watch out for. Ticks can carry Lyme disease and mosquitoes might carry Zika. Therefore, it’s always a good practice to use bug spray if you’re going to be outside (especially if you’re around a body of water). If you worry about using bug sprays that contain DEET or other chemicals, certain essential oils can naturally keep these bugs away. As for plants, do your best to avoid poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and other that can cause an allergic reaction. If you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it.