3 Cool Facts About The Cornea

Unless you have visited a cornea specialist lately, you can be forgiven for overlooking the importance of this vital eye part. Corneas appear transparent, so they are harder to see than the iris, sclera, or pupil. Nonetheless, they serve multiple important purposes. These interesting facts highlight some noteworthy information about the cornea and the reasons why it exists:

1. Although complete eye transplants remain impossible, this is the one part of an eye that can be transplanted. The first operation of this kind was completed by a new-found cornea specialist over a century ago. Sharks have corneas resembling those in human eyes, so doctors have sometimes utilized the shark cornea in human operations. Most organ donors can contribute eyes, even if they were blind or suffered from cancer.
2. Cornea tissue performs two major tasks. In combination with the eye lens, it helps refract light and enables people to see. Corneas also protect eyes from harm. However, blindness may occur if this protective layer suffers heavy damage as a result of injury or illness. This problem causes about 1 out of 10 instances of blindness. A cornea specialist will examine your eyes and check visual health.
3. The cornea seems simple because it looks clear and lacks blood vessels. However, it actually consists of five major layers. They achieve a variety of goals, such as conducting light, healing damage, and collecting nutrients. One layer is devoted to keeping germs and dust out of the eye, while another portion protects it from injury.

Unfortunately, this part of the eye can experience several different disorders. They include things like infections, allergic reactions, abnormal dryness and trauma-related damage. A cornea specialist can correct many problems by performing surgery. These professionals even have the ability to reverse corneal blindness with transplants. As always, be sure to speak to a doctor if your vision changes or you undergo significant amounts of eye discomfort. Read more about cornea specialists.