FYI Health Tip
Humans are the only species that gets bloodshot eyes.
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Turns out there is more than just your crying eyes that can make you less attractive, just having bloodshot eyes can make people shy away from you. A study done by the University of Baltimore found that while humans are the only ones to actually have red (or bloodshot) eyes, we’re also the only ones that take it as an emotional cue. The study states that “individuals with reddened sclera appear sadder, less healthy and less attractive than those with whiter, untinted sclera.” Sclera is the white, tough part of your eye. Redness of the eyes just may be a generic but important indicator of a person’s emotional and physical health. We can add another trait to the list of things that human perceive to make someone physically attractive.
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Loading ...Red eyes can also signify an eye disease or allergic reaction, so if you or someone you know has red eyes and hasn’t been crying for four hours or up all night, get them to the doctor.
It’s interesting that red eyes are a cue for emotional distress for most of us. Maybe we don’t wear our heart on our sleeves after all. After crying, it’s hard to hide your pain, frustration or stress from the people around you.
Now it appears that eyes may be more than “windows to the soul.” They are markers for physical beauty and health as well. Get those allergies in check, and if you are feeling blue have a good cry. Just know that tears are filled with pheromones and the bloodshot eyes you have afterward may be a turn-off.
The supporting research
What Red Eyes Signify
Summary
Redness of eyes has long been considered a marker of various diseases of the eyes. However, the role of red eyes in our daily life has not been examined so far. Of all the primates, humans are the only species that exhibit reddening of the eyes. The researchers of the present study examined the socially significant signals that red eyes convey to an observer. “Individuals with reddened sclera were perceived as sadder, less healthy, and less attractive than individuals with normal (white) sclera.”
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