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Eye Parts

Orbit

The orbit is the bony hollow structure of the eye that the eyeball fits into.

Eyelid

The upper and lower eyelids protect the eyeball from foreign objects such as dust, dirt, and bacteria. Blinking produces tears that lubricate the eye and prevent it from drying out. Additionally, tears help to remove foreign objects from the eye and keep it healthy.

Cornea

The small clear transparent front portion of the sclera is called the cornea which protects the eye from foreign objects. The cornea also bends light entering the eye and provides better focus.

Pupil

The small black spot in the center of the eye in front of the iris which lets light through is called the pupil.

Iris

The iris contains melanin that produces color to the eye. The more pigment there is, the darker the eye color. The iris also decreases in size in bright light and increases in size in dim light to protect the eye from the amount of light entering the eye.

Anterior Chamber

The anterior chamber is the space between the cornea and the iris. It is surrounded by the cornea in front and by the lens in the back, and it is filled with fluid that washes away waste and maintains eye pressure.

Sclera

The sclera is the tough, leathery white part of the eye with an opening in the center that lets light in.

Lens

Light entering through the cornea is sharply focused by the lens. There are ciliary muscles around the lens that contract when the lens concentrates on a near object and relax when the lens concentrates on a far object.

Vitreous

The vitreous is a soft, gelatinous, transparent mass located behind the lens. The vitreous passes the light to the retina and assists in maintaining the eye pressure.

Retina

The retina contains light sensitive cells and nerves called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors are either cones or rods. Light hitting the retina produces visual impulses that carry through the optic nerves to the brain upside down and reversed. The brains analyze the image coming from both eyes and permit us to see it upright and right side up.

Cone Cells: These cells are used to discriminate colors and fine details, but need a lot of light to process sharp images. This is the reason why it is difficult to distinguish between colors in the dark or dim light.

Rod Cells: These cells allow you to see in the dim and dark and are responsible for peripheral vision (side vision.)

Optical Nerves

Light hitting the retina gathers visual impulses from the both eyes. These impulses are carried through the optic nerves to the brain for analysis and production of three dimensional images.

Eye Muscles

There are six muscles attached to the sclera in each eye that cause movement of the eyeballs up, down, right, and left to detect moving objects.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease that does not exhibit any symptoms or give any warnings until it’s too late to treat. Glaucoma is caused by slow drainage of fluid leading to fluid back-up, which causes pressure and damage to the optic nerve. If Glaucoma left untreated, it develops into tunnel vision which in turn leads to blindness. The vision can be saved if detected and treated on time, which requires regular check-ups. In another type of glaucoma, the pressure raises suddenly with severe pain, blurred vision, redness, halos around lights, nausea or vomiting which results in blindness within a few hours. This type of glaucoma needs immediate medical attention. Glaucoma can not be cured but it can be controlled with medication.

Risk Factors

Family History of Glaucoma
Eye pressure higher than normal
People between the ages of 40-60
African Americans, Hispanic, and Asian Americans over the age of 40
High blood pressure, Diabetes, and Heart disease
Trauma and injury to the eye
Being nearsighted

Make sure to check you eyes regularly to detect any changes in eye pressure, especially if you are over 40. Maintain a healthy diet and drink at least 8-12 glasses of water daily, and limit your caffeine intake. Be consistent in your vitamin and mineral intake. Vitamins such as A, C and E, and minerals such as Zinc and Copper are beneficial for an eye health. Regular exercise helps blood to flow easily and nourishes the eye and reduces the pressure. Exercise also reduces stress that may trigger glaucoma. Wear proper protection whenever you are around chemicals, working with heavy machinery and/or playing sports.

Consult your physician prior to discontinuing your medication, taking any vitamins or minerals, and stating any exercise.

Difficulty seeing color

Colorblindness causes difficulty differentiating between shades of colors, especially in dim light. This condition can be inherited, it may be caused by certain medications, eye disease, and/or aging. There is no cure for colorblindness.

Nearsightedness

Myopia does not affect causes seeing near objects, but far objects appear blurry. It may accompanied by headaches as a result of eyestrain. Nearsightedness may develop gradually as a person age.

Farsightedness

Hyperopia is the opposite of nearsightedness--- far objects appear clearly, and near objects appear blurry. Farsightedness may develop gradually as a person ages.

Nearsightedness and Farsightedness can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses.

In some cases LASIK or LASEK surgery is recommended.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism causes blurred vision more in one direction than another. This blurred vision can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

Dry Eye

There is always a thin film of tears are covering the eye to lubricate and clean the eye to maintain clear vision and protect the eye from irritants and infection. Dry eye occurs as a result of decline in the production of tears. Dry eye may be caused by aging, heat, cold, wind, smoke, contact lenses, hormonal changes, allergies, vitamin A deficiency, use of certain medications, and working on the computer and looking at monitor for a long period of time. If you have dry eyes you will experience the following in both eyes:

Burning, redness, and itching sensation
Blurred vision
Feeling of foreign object in the eye, such as an eyelash
Tearing for no reason
Uneasiness, tiredness, fatigue, and increased irritation after reading or watching television.

You can use over the counter eye drops (artificial tears) to keep your eyes lubricated, blink frequently, avoid irritants such as smoke, avoid rubbing the eye, and drink water all through the day to keep hydrated. See your eye doctor if you still experiencing discomfort.

To keep your eyes healthy you should:

See your eye care professional regularly; seek medical attention as soon as you notice something wrong with your vision, such as sudden loss of vision, blurry vision, and halo around lights.
Protect your eye whenever you are working with equipment and machinery. Wear sunglasses whenever you are in the sun, in the snow (snow reflects light) or on a windy day. The sunglasses should be able to block UV (ultraviolet) radiation. Avoid direct air to the eye.
Wear swim goggles while swimming to avoid chlorine water into the eye.
Use proper lighting especially when reading or doing fine works.
Maintain healthy diet. Take your vitamins and minerals daily, vitamin A and Beta-carotene will keep your eyes healthy.

Ophthalmologist: The ophthalmologist has a doctorate of medical degree (M.D.) and he/she may provide a full eye exam, diagnose and treat different eye diseases, and perform surgeries.

Optometrist: The optometrist has doctorate of optometry degree (O.D.) and he/she performs an eye exam, prescribes eye glasses and corrective lenses, and diagnoses eye diseases, which are referred to a specialist. Optometrists do not perform eye surgery.

Opticians: Opticians can sell and fit eye glasses and in some cases corrective lenses.

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This site designed by Akhtar Akhavan & edited by Shima Ebrahimi