Abre los ojos.
January 22, 2009 10:52 AM Subscribe
What would happen if I were to lose my eyelids? Being so small and paper thin they seem, upon first inspection, to be so trivial that it appears absurd that I couldn't live without them. Many people the world over, for example, live without foreskins. But how would I sleep? I can't imagine sleeping with my eyes open. Is it even possible? How would I walk along a windswept trail? How in God's name could I possibly survive? Even with a fully-functioning eye, retina, etc. would I forever be fated to walk the earth wearing eye patches? Even with eye patches, how would I sleep? Sleep for me, after all, seems inseperable from the act of CLOSING ones eyes.
I know this is a strange question but it must happen through torture, fire or any other number of freak accidents at least a couple of times a year.
How do people cope?
I know this is a strange question but it must happen through torture, fire or any other number of freak accidents at least a couple of times a year.
How do people cope?
This post was deleted for the following reason: This does seem pretty chatty and hypothetical, yeah. Let's not have an eyestravaganza in askme. -- cortex
Best answer: Based on various news reports I've read about this, people without eyelids have to live with regular applications of eyedrops, and it's likely that their vision will go eventually. Some people get new eyelids with skin grafts. Look at stories of burn and acid-in-the-face victims.
posted by katillathehun at 11:03 AM on January 22, 2009
posted by katillathehun at 11:03 AM on January 22, 2009
Sleep for me, after all, seems inseperable from the act of CLOSING ones eyes.
Sleep doesn't require closed eyes, it's just helpful for keeping out visual stimuli that could interrupt, as well as keeping the eyes moist. But it's perfectly possible to sleep with your eyes open- it happens all the time. For an extreme example, consider sleepwalking.
posted by mkultra at 11:03 AM on January 22, 2009
Sleep doesn't require closed eyes, it's just helpful for keeping out visual stimuli that could interrupt, as well as keeping the eyes moist. But it's perfectly possible to sleep with your eyes open- it happens all the time. For an extreme example, consider sleepwalking.
posted by mkultra at 11:03 AM on January 22, 2009
What the hell is it with eye questions lately? First someone asks about cutting their eye open with a straight razor, now this.
Let's try an experiment: pinch one of your eyelids and hold it open to simulate the "loss" of an eyelid. I imagine the eye will start to feel uncomfortable and dry after a while.
posted by rand at 11:04 AM on January 22, 2009
Let's try an experiment: pinch one of your eyelids and hold it open to simulate the "loss" of an eyelid. I imagine the eye will start to feel uncomfortable and dry after a while.
posted by rand at 11:04 AM on January 22, 2009
Best answer: When I was very young, I got highsticked while goofing around playing hockey and one of eyelids my basically got cut in half on a horizontal plane. Fortunately, the ER doctor that stitched me back up did an excellent job and after the wound healed my eyelid looks and functions completely normally. I had an eyepatch over the eye while the stitches healed (few weeks) and, the issue of eyeball moistness aside, having a fucked-up eyelid didn't do much to keep me from sleeping unless I rolled over onto that side and put pressure io that area.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 11:09 AM on January 22, 2009
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 11:09 AM on January 22, 2009
Response by poster: rand, rest assured: I am in no doubt that a life without an eyelid would be a very uncomfortable life indeed! In fact, "uncomfortable" probably doesn't even begin to describe the ordeal. I was just wondering at which point discomfort impinges on one's ability to even live. I think katillathehun's answer hit the nail on the head, though I still wonder what it must've been like in the days before skin grafts. Part of me is curious to see what an eyelidless person would look like.
posted by Zé Pequeno at 11:12 AM on January 22, 2009
posted by Zé Pequeno at 11:12 AM on January 22, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jerseygirl at 11:00 AM on January 22, 2009