The Eyes Have It

Your eyes are often called the windows to your soul and, as human beings, we use our eyes to perceive the world and communicate thoughts and feelings. Our eyes send more unconscious social signals and communicate more about ourselves than any words we may utter. Yet eyes also perform vital physical functions so it is important to keep them healthy.

- Susan Hinchey

Your eyesight is precious and possibly the most important of your five senses. It not only affects how well you see but also how you feel. Your eyesight impacts your ability to work, exercise, drive and even recognise a face. Good vision leads to improved learning and comprehension and overall quality of life.

The World Health Organization estimates that up to 80 per cent of blindness and serious visual loss around the world is avoidable through prevention or treatment. In Australia, approximately 50 per cent of the population has at least one eye problem, rising to 87 per cent of people over the age of 45. Having your eyes regularly tested for vision problems and general eye health can help identify early warning signs and prevent the loss of eyesight.

Eye basics: how they function

Your eyes function much like a camera. Light rays enter through the cornea, the “front window” of the eye, then pass through the lens, which continues to focus the light. Directly behind the cornea is a ring-shaped membrane called the iris and an adjustable circular opening called the pupil. The pupil expands and contracts to control the amount of light entering the eye.

Muscles hold the lens in place. They pull and flatten the lens to allow us to see objects far away, or contract, thickening the lens so we can see objects closer to us. Messages then pass via the optic nerve to the brain.

Dr Jenny Danks, an ophthalmologist with more than 20 years’ experience, explains: “The brain then makes sense of that information to allow the perception of sight. The commonest ageing process is that the lens gradually increases in size and the proteins within the lens gradually become more rigid.