Let's learn about our eye reflexes that protect our eyes without us realizing it.

Imagine that you are walking down the street and suddenly a piece of dust gets in your eyes. Before you even have time to think, your eyes close, don't they? Or, when a bright light suddenly hits your eyes, your eyes automatically narrow. Have you ever wondered how these things happen? These are what we call ' eye reflexes' . These are like guards in our eyes that protect us without us knowing it. Let's talk about this simply and politely today.

What exactly are these eye reflexes?

Simply put, eye reflexes are the automatic responses that protect our eyes and help us see clearly. They are not something you think about, they happen automatically. Things like blinking, tearing, and the black ring of the eye that changes color depending on the light are controlled by these reflexes.

All of this happens through a network of nerve signals that travel between our brain and our eyes . It's like a phone line system in an office. When the eye senses something dangerous or different, the message travels through the nerves to the brain. The brain responds by sending a message back to the eye, saying, "Okay, close your eyes now" or "Show some tears." This happens so fast that we don't even have time to think about it.

There are three main types of eye reflexes that we talk about and that we experience frequently.

1. Corneal Reflex: This is what causes the eyes to close and tears to come out.

2. Pupillary Reflex: This is the dilation of the pupil of the eye in response to light.

3. Vestibulo-ocular Reflex: This keeps our vision stable even when we move our heads.

Let's now look at each of these separately.

Why do eyes close when something small touches them? - Corneal Reflex

This is the main protector of our eye. The transparent part at the front of our eye is called the cornea. This part is very sensitive. Even if something small hits it, it responds to protect it, which is called the Corneal Reflex. It has two main parts.

Why do my eyes get smaller when I go outside and bigger in the dark? - Pupillary Reflex

Have you ever stood in front of a mirror and shone a flashlight into your eye? When you do that, the black circle in the middle of your eye, the pupil, suddenly shrinks. When you remove the flashlight, it gradually enlarges. This is what we call the Pupillary Reflex . Its main purpose is to control the amount of light that enters the eye. It's like the aperture on a camera. There are three types of pupil reflexes.

Responding to light

When you go outside on a sunny day, there is too much light entering the eye. This can damage the sensitive parts inside the eye. To stop it, the pupil constricts. This is called the Pupillary Light Reflex.

Responding to darkness

Imagine you go to a movie theater. When you enter, you can't see anything, right? But after a while, your surroundings gradually start to become visible. What happens here is that, because we want to see in the dark, the black pupil dilates to let in as much light as possible. This is called the Pupillary Dark Reflex.

Responding to pain

This is a little different. If you experience any pain in your face or neck, your cilia can suddenly enlarge in response. This is called the Ciliospinal Reflex.

How can you keep your eyes fixed on one spot even when you turn your head? - Vestibulo-ocular reflex

This is really amazing. Our heads are constantly moving a little bit without us realizing it. We move our heads when we walk, run, or ride in a car. If our eyes moved at the same time every time we moved our heads, everything we see would be blurry and appear to be spinning.

But that doesn't happen, does it? If you're walking down the street and looking at a sign in a store, you can still see the sign clearly and steadily, even if you shake your head.

Are there other reactions that we don't know about?

Yes, we don't experience many of them on a daily basis, but there are several other important reflexes that occur in our bodies.

Should we be concerned about these reactions?

Usually, these reflexes are automatic, so we don't think about them much in our daily lives. As long as they are functioning healthily and correctly, we don't feel any problems.

However, if there is any weakness or abnormality in these reflexes, it can be a sign of a neurological disease or other health problem. That is why doctors check these reflexes during neurological examinations.

If you think,

• It seems like it's too much for my eyes to be blue when I go out.
• I feel some change in my vision, a blurring sensation.
• It doesn't feel normal, like "something is wrong" with the eyes.

If you notice any changes like this, don't ignore them. See your doctor immediately for advice. It's also important to have regular eye exams. That way, if there's a problem, it can be identified early.