An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is often worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, but it also has a therapeutic use in children for the treatment of amblyopia. Eyepatches used to block light while sleeping are referred to as a sleep mask. An eyepad or eye pad is a soft medical dressing that can be applied over an eye to protect it. It is not necessarily the same as an eyepatch.

History

In the years before advanced medicine and surgery, eyepatches were common for people who had a lost or injured eye. They were particularly prevalent among members of dangerous occupations, such as soldiers and sailors who could lose an eye in battle. While stereotypically associated with pirates, there is no evidence to suggest the historical accuracy of eye patch wearing pirates before several popular novels of the 19th century (see

Association with pirates Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal * Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associati ...

below).

Medical uses

Amblyopia

Eye patching is used in the orthoptic management of children at risk of lazy eye ( amblyopia), especially strabismic or anisometropic amblyopia. These conditions can cause visual suppression of areas of the dissimilar imagesFinal Activity and Management Report Summary - SVS (Strabismus and visual suppression)
CORDIS by the brain such as to avoid diplopia, resulting in a loss of visual acuity in the suppressed eye and in extreme cases in blindness in an otherwise functional eye. Patching the good eye forces the amblyopic eye to function, thereby causing vision in that eye to be retained. It is important to perform "near activities" (such as reading or handiwork) when patched, thereby exercising active, attentive vision. A study provided evidence that children treated for amblyopia with eye patching had lower self-perception of social acceptance. To prevent a child from being socially marginalized by their peers due to wearing an eye patch, atropine eye drops may be used instead. This induces temporary blurring in the treated eye. It has been pointed out that the penalization of one eye by means of patching or atropine drops does not provide the necessary conditions to develop or improve binocular vision. Recently, efforts have been made to propose alternative treatments of amblyopia that do allow for the improvement of binocular sight, for example, using

binasal occlusion Binasal occlusion is a method of partial covering (occlusion) of the visual field of the two eyes in which the sector of the visual field that is adjacent to the nose (the nasal visual field) is occluded for each eye. It is a well-known procedure in ...

or partially frosted spectacles in place of any eye patch, using alternating occlusion goggles or using methods of perceptual learning based on video games or virtual reality games for enhancing binocular vision. A 2014 Cochrane Review sought to determine the effectiveness of occlusion treatment on patients with sensory deprivation amblyopia, however no trials were found eligible to be included in the review. However, it is suggested that good outcomes from occlusion treatment for sensory deprivation amblyopia rely on compliance with the treatment.

Extraocular muscle palsy

To initially relieve double vision ( diplopia) caused by an extra-ocular muscle palsy, an eye care professional may recommend using an eyepatch. This can help to relieve the dizziness, vertigo and nausea that are associated with this form of double vision.O'Sullivan, S.B & Schmitz, T.J. (2007). Physical Rehabilitation. Philadelphia, PA: Davis. .

Use by aircraft pilots

Aircraft pilots used an eye patch, or close one eye to preserve night vision when there was disparity in the light intensity within or outside their aircraft, such as when flying at night over brightly lit cities, so that one eye could look out, and the other would be adjusted for the dim lighting of the cockpit to read unlit instruments and maps. Some military pilots have worn a lead-lined or gold-lined eyepatch, to protect against blindness in both eyes, in the event of a

nuclear blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label move ...

or laser weapon attack. Eyepatches are not currently used by military personnel; modern technology has provided an array of other means to preserve and enhance night vision, including red-light and low-level white lights, and night vision devices.

Association with pirates

Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalahimah, once the most popular pirate in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

, was also the first known to wear an eyepatch after losing an eye in battle. Ex-sailors, ashore, were sometimes portrayed as having an eyepatch to cover the loss of an eye. Medical texts have referred to the eye patch as a "pirate's patch" and, writing in the Minnesota Academy of Sciences Journal in 1934, Charles Sheard of the Mayo foundation pointed out that by "wearing a patch (The pirate's patch) over one eye, it will keep the covered eye in a state of readiness and adaptation for night vision". This technique was explored during WWII by institutes such as the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. The proposal that pirates may have worn an eyepatch so that one eye would be pre-adjusted to below-deck darkness was tested in an episode of '' MythBusters'' in 2007 and found to be plausible, but without any recorded historical precedent.MythBusters, episode 71
/ref>

Notable wearers

* Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart
' National Portrait Gallery, London, National Portrait Gallery'' * Ana de Mendoza * André De Toth * Andrew Vachss *

Barbara Boggs Sigmund Barbara Boggs Sigmund (May 27, 1939 – October 10, 1990) was an American writer, Democratic politician, and civic leader. She served as a Mercer County Freeholder and mayor of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey from 1983 to 1990. She finishe ...

* Bobby Helms *

Bruce Peterson Bruce A. Peterson (May 23, 1933 – May 1, 2006) was an American aeronautical engineer, and test pilot for NASA. Biography Early life and education Peterson was born on May 23, 1933. A native of Washburn, North Dakota, he attended the Unive ...

* Bushwick BillOur favorite eyepatch heroes
Maxim magazine *

Charles H. Bonesteel III Charles Hartwell Bonesteel III (September 26, 1909 – October 13, 1977) was an American military commander, the son of Major General Charles Hartwell Bonesteel Jr. and grandson of Major Charles H. Bonesteel Sr. (1851–1902). He served in t ...

Charles Stourton, 26th Baron Mowbray Charles Edward Stourton, 23rd Baron Stourton, 27th Baron Segrave, 26th Baron Mowbray (11 March 1923 – 12 December 2006) was an English peer. He sat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords and was a Conservative whip in government an ...

Claus von Stauffenberg Colonel Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair. Despite ...

* Dale Chihuly *

Dale D. Myers Dale Dehaven Myers (January 8, 1922 – May 19, 2015) was an American aerospace engineer who was Deputy Administrator of NASA, serving between October 6, 1986 and May 13, 1989. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated with a Bach ...

* Dan Crenshaw *

Date Masamune was a regional ruler of Japan's Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful ''daimyō'' in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made ...

.Sohachi Yamaoka, ''Date Masamune''. *

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Great Moments in Eye Patches
'

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' *

Dick Curless Richard William Curless (March 17, 1932 – May 25, 1995) was an American country music singer. He usually wore a patch over his right eye. Biography Curless was born in Fort Fairfield, Maine, United States, and moved with his family to ...

Dušan Prelević Dušan Prelević "Prele" (Serbian Cyrillic: Душан Прелевић Преле; November 11, 1948 – July 28, 2007) was a Serbian singer, journalist, and writer. During his career Prelević released three solo albums and a large number of ...

Floyd Gibbons Floyd Phillips Gibbons (July 16, 1887 – September 23, 1939) was the war correspondent for the '' Chicago Tribune'' during World War I. One of radio's first news reporters and commentators, he was famous for a fast-talking delivery style. Flo ...

* Francisco de Orellana *

François Coli François Coli (5 June 1881 – presumably on or after 8 May 1927) was a French pilot and navigator best known as the flying partner of Charles Nungesser in their fatal attempt to achieve the first transatlantic flight. Early life and World ...

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary '' Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. ...

Scorsese's film `Journey' whirls through magnificent obsession
''The San Diego Union'' * Gabrielle * George Maciunas *

George Melly Alan George Heywood Melly (17 August 1926 – 5 July 2007) was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer, and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for '' The Observer''; he also lectured on art history, with a ...

Jack Coggins Jack Banham Coggins (July 10, 1911 – January 30, 2006) was an artist, author, and illustrator. He is known in the United States for his oil paintings, which focused predominantly on marine subjects. He is also known for his books on space tra ...

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...

* Jan Syrový * Jan Zizka * Jason Trost *

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

José Millán Astray José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacu ...

Lewis Williams Douglas Lewis Williams Douglas (July 2, 1894March 7, 1974) was an American politician, diplomat, businessman and academic. Early life and education Douglas was the son of James Douglas, Jr., a mining executive employed by the Phelps Dodge Company, and ...

Lisa Lopes Lisa Nicole Lopes (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper and singer. She was a member of the R&B girl group TLC, alongside Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Beside ...

* Luís de Camões *

María de Villota María de Villota Comba (13 January 1979 – 11 October 2013) was a Spanish racing driver. She was the daughter of former Formula One driver Emilio de Villota, and sister of Emilio de Villota Jr., who similarly competed in Formula Palmer ...

* Marie Colvin * Martin Bayerle *

Maxie Anderson Maxie Anderson (September 10, 1934 – June 27, 1983) was an American hot air balloonist and Congressional Gold Medal recipient He was part of the balloon crews that made the first Atlantic ocean crossing by balloon in the Double Eagle II a ...

* Momus *

Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan ( he, משה דיין; 20 May 1915 – 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. As commander of the Jerusalem front in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953–1958) dur ...

Mother Angelica Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation (born Rita Antoinette Rizzo; April 20, 1923 – March 27, 2016), also known as Mother Angelica, was an American Roman Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. She was best known for the ...

* Nicholas Ray * Nick Popaditch *

Nicolas-Jacques Conté Nicolas-Jacques Conté (4 August 1755 – 6 December 1805) was a French painter, balloonist, army officer, and inventor of the modern pencil. He was born at Saint-Céneri-près-Sées (now Aunou-sur-Orne) in Normandy and distinguished himself for ...

* Pete Burns * Peter Gatien * Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalahimah * Raoul Walsh *

Ray Sawyer Ray Sawyer (February 1, 1937 – December 31, 2018) was an American percussionist and vocalist with the 1970s rock band Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. Though primarily a backing vocalist and occasional percussionist on congas or maracas, he sang ...

Richard W. Rahn Richard W. Rahn (born January 9, 1942 in Rochester, New York) is an American economist, syndicated columnist, and entrepreneur. He is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and the Institute for Global Economic Growth. Rahn writes a syndicated ...

* Rich Williams * Ron Hamilton * Sammy Davis Jr. *

Sheila Gish Sheila Gish (born Sheila Anne Syme Gash; 23 April 1942 – 9 March 2005) was an English actress. For her role in the 1995 London revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical ''Company'', she won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in ...

* Sir Francis BryanWeir, ''Henry VIII'', p. 262. * Slick Rick * Victor Page *

Wiley Post Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was a famed American aviator during the interwar period and the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high-altitude flying, Post helped develop o ...

In fiction

An eyepatch can be used in fiction to lend an additional dimension to a character, an air of mystery or general '' je ne sais quoi''. * Vanica Zogratis ( Black Clover) * The Demoman ( Team Fortress 2) * Danger Mouse * Nick Fury (

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...

) * Ultimate Nick Fury (

) *

Deathstroke Deathstroke (Slade Joseph Wilson) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character debuted in ''The New Teen Titans'' #2 in December 1980 as Deathstroke th ...

(

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

) * Nick Fury Jr (

) * Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen ('' A Song of Ice and Fire''/''

House of the Dragon ''House of the Dragon'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), it is the second TV show in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' franchi ...

'') * The Governor ('' The Walking Dead'') *

Bazooka Joe Bazooka Joe is a comic strip character featured on small comics included in individually wrapped pieces of Bazooka (chewing gum), Bazooka bubble gum. He wears a black eyepatch, lending him a distinctive appearance. He is one of the more recogniza ...

* General Chang ('' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'') * Rooster Cogburn * Asuka Langley Shikinami ('' Rebuild of Evangelion'') *

Elle Driver ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a team of assassins ( Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, and Vivica A. Fox) ...

( Kill Bill: Volume 1) *

Kenpachi Zaraki is a fictional character of support in the anime and manga series ''Bleach'' created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 11th Division within the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Ikkaku Madarame. Character outline Kenpachi has a wild and aggressiv ...

(''

Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

'') * Goro Majima ('' Yakuza'') * Franky (''

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow ''Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow'', often shortened to ''Sky Captain'', is a 2004 science fiction action-adventure film written and directed by Kerry Conran in his directorial debut, and produced by Jon Avnet, Sadie Frost, Jude Law and ...

'') *

Madame Kovarian This is a list of villains from the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. For other, related lists, see below. See also * List of ''Doctor Who'' supporting characters * List of ''Doctor Who'' henchmen * Lis ...

* Emilio Largo * Snake Plissken * Oberst Radl ('' The Eagle Has Landed'') * Ribouldingue from '' Les Pieds Nickelés'' * Ziggy Stardust *

Saul Tigh Saul Tigh is a fictional character on ''Battlestar Galactica'' played by Michael Hogan. He is one of the main characters of the show. Biography Overview and personality Saul Tigh is a line officer assigned as executive officer on the Galac ...

* Big Dan Teague (''

Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 21, 1991. In the episode, Grampa co ...

'') * Big Boss/ Venom Snake/ Solidus Snake (''

Metal Gear is a series of techno-thriller stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operativ ...

'') * Catalina Creel (Cuna de Lobos) * Lockon Stratos ( Mobile Suit Gundam 00) * Valmet (Jormungand) * Xigbar/Braig ('' Kingdom Hearts'') * Ken Cosgrove ('' Mad Men'') * Carl Grimes ('' The Walking Dead'') * Sean Diaz (''

Life Is Strange 2 ''Life Is Strange 2'' is an episodic graphic adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. It’s five episodes were released between September 2018 and December 2019 for PlayStation 4, ...

'') * Sagat ('' Street Fighter'') * Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd ( Fire Emblem: Three Houses) * Ana Amari (

Overwatch ''Overwatch'' is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of online multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment: '' Overwatch'' released in 2016, and ''Overwatch 2'' released in 2022. Both games fe ...

) * Ethan Nakamura (

Percy Jackson & the Olympians ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' is a series of five fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan, and the first book series in the ''Camp Half-Blood Chronicles''. The novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st cent ...

) * Undyne ( Undertale) *

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, ...

(

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...

) * Odin (

) * Modo ( Biker Mice from Mars) * Kaeya Alberich ( Genshin Impact) * Beidou ( Genshin Impact) * Fischl ( Genshin Impact) * Basil St. John (

Brenda Starr, Reporter ''Brenda Starr, Reporter'' (often referred to simply as ''Brenda Starr'') is a comic strip about a glamorous, adventurous reporter. It was created in 1940 by Dale Messick for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate. History Although set in Chicago, ''Bre ...

) * Sally Brown * The " Hathaway Man" advertising character * Number 2 (

Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and '' Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced ...

) * Steve Johnson (''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'')

References

External links

International Orthoptic Association
{{Pirates Eyewear Ophthalmology Medical equipment Maritime culture