eye patch
An eye patch is an aid that is used to temporarily or permanently cover an eye . It consists of an oval, roughly the size of a hen's egg, slightly curved shell, which is placed over the eye and usually attached with an elastic band behind the head. The shell is made of plastic , felt or leather , depending on the area of application , but can also consist of other materials and, for example, be provided with internal padding. There are also models that can be attached to glasses.
Eye patches are a typical symbol for pirates .
The eye patches must not be confused with Justitia's blindfolds .
history
Before the advent of modern medicine, eye patches were ubiquitous. Especially endangered professions such as blacksmiths often wore them. However, with the improvement in medicine and the advent of prostheses ( glass eyes ) and protective goggles , the eye patch became increasingly rare.
Today's application
Cosmetic use
In cosmetic applications, the eye patch is used to cover up a flaw. Often it is a blind or missing eye . By far the most common use is eye patches as part of a disguise during Carnival.
Medical application
In children, an eye patch is occasionally used to treat functional visual impairment in one eye ( amblyopia ). Sometimes this can improve compliance , but mostly an eye patch is preferred because of its better therapeutic effect. An eye patch can also be an effective aid in the case of double vision.
Some ophthalmologists also use the eye patch when examining the visual field . The examination is carried out on a single eye, the other eye is covered with the eye patch.
The eye patch is not suitable for immobilizing the eye. Nor does it improve the moistening of the eye - for example in the case of lagophthalmos - because it does not close waterproof. Even after eye operations, the eye patch is not suitable protection because, due to its small size, it presses too easily on the still unhealed surgical wound if it slips. Eye bandages are used in these cases .
Other application
Eye patches are used by sport shooters to completely switch off one eye and thus to be able to aim more easily .
Pirate eye patch
Eye patches are associated with images of pirates. According to science journalist Christoph Drösser , the eye patch was not widespread among pirates . There would be no contemporary depictions of pirates with eye patches from the golden age of piracy , which ended around 1730. It wasn't until 100 years later that the stereotype emerged, and it became really popular through the cartoons of the 20th century .
See also
literature
- Herbert Kaufmann (Ed.): Strabismus. 3rd, fundamentally revised and expanded edition. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 2003, ISBN 3-13-129723-9 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eye patch to be attached to glasses , patent number EP 1077388 B1
- ↑ Christoph Drösser : Did pirates wear eye patches because one eye was blind because of the sun? In: right ? , The time 27/2016 of June 23, 2016, edited online on July 9, 2016.