3 Unusual Uses for Gold You've Probably Never Considered

Gold prices are poised to take off in 2018 thanks in part to rising demand. And there are some unusual uses for gold that are boosting demand that many investors may not be aware of...

Since Dec. 12, the price of gold has already climbed 7.24%, from $1,242 to $1,332 today (Jan. 18).

This hardly comes as a surprise.

Money Morning Resource Specialist Peter Krauth has been pounding the table for months with his $1,500 gold price target for 2018. That would be another 12.6% gain from current levels.

But gold isn't just a safe-haven asset offering investors an excellent profit opportunity.

There are also important uses for gold that many people have never considered...

For instance, you probably know that gold is used in almost all consumer electronics, because it conducts electricity very well.

But did you also know that gold is used in pacemakers because of its resistance to bacteria and deterioration?

And that's not even the most interesting use for gold we've found.

Here are three more unusual uses for gold you've probably never considered...

Unusual Uses for Gold, No. 3: Treatment of Lagophthalmos

Lagophthalmos is the inability to close the eyelids completely. This is dangerous because blinking covers the eye with tears, which is critical for proper eye health. If left untreated, the condition could lead to infection and blindness.

The primary treatment for Lagophthalmos is a surgical procedure to insert gold plates into the patient's upper eyelids to weigh them down. Gravity does the rest.

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We love simple solutions, don't you? The key to this treatment method goes back to the fact that gold is resistant to bacteria and deterioration.

While having gold in your eyelids could make for an interesting cocktail conversation, as you might imagine, there are some downsides as well.

Weighing down the upper eyelids can cause the lower eyelids to weaken, requiring another surgery to raise the lower eyelids.

Next, let's take a break from medical maladies and look at how NASA uses gold...