It's estimated that 8% of the world's population has blue eyes. While you might be proud of your baby blues, it's important to know how having blue eyes could affect you. Learning as much as possible about blue eyes will help you work with your optometrist to achieve the best possible vision in the future.

Here are three amazing facts you might not know about your eyes.

1. Blue-eyed individuals could be susceptible to poor vision.

While the color of an individual's eyes is determined by the amount of melanin found in the iris, researchers have uncovered a link between light absorption and eye color. Dark-colored eyes (like brown) absorb more light as rays pass through the eye. Higher absorption levels lead to a reduction in the amount of light available to reflect within the eye.

Light-eyed individuals (like those with blue eyes) may experience a higher susceptibility to glare or an inability to discern the contrast between light and dark. Those with blue eyes might find that they experience poor night vision, so discussing possible treatment options with an optometrist could help your blue eyes see better at night.

2. Blue eyes could mean you are less likely to develop a skin disorder.

While your optometrist is primarily concerned with the health and well-being of your eyes, these professionals often realize that blue eyes could also be linked to a reduced risk of developing a skin condition known as vitiligo. This skin disorder results when your skin begins to lose its pigment.

According to a study of nearly 3,200 people, those with blue eyes were less likely to develop vitiligo. In fact, only 27% of vitiligo sufferers in the study had blue eyes. When compared with the 43% who had brown or tan eyes and the 30% with green or hazel eyes, it's easy to see that blue-eyed individuals don't develop vitiligo at the same rate as their darker-eyed counterparts.

3. Blue eyes could be a sign of ocular albinism.

Ocular albinism is a disorder that occurs when the pigment-producing cells within the eye lose the ability to produce normal levels of pigment. Since blue-eyed individuals have less pigment to begin with, the lightening of blue eyes could be a sign that ocular albinism is setting in.

Since this condition can cause involuntary rapid eye movement and loss of visual acuity, it's important to have your optometrist check for ocular albinism on a regular basis if you have blue eyes.

Knowing how blue eyes can affect your vision will help you work more effectively with your optometrist to maintain your vision in the future. Set up an appointment through a website like http://arizonaeyes.net today.

Share