About one in five adults in the United States has an undiagnosed eye condition. This underscores the critical importance of regular eye exams for maintaining optimal vision health. For those who have never undergone an eye exam, it’s natural to feel uncertain about the process. However, we’re here to demystify the experience and emphasize why…

Color blindness isn’t all black and white. Despite common misconceptions, color blindness doesn’t equate to seeing the world like a black and white movie. In fact, most individuals with color blindness can perceive some colors, albeit with varying degrees of vividness. Let’s delve into the three primary categories of color blindness and their implications for…

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of permanent vision loss for people over fifty. The slow loss of central vision occurs due to the deterioration of the macula, the part of the retina with the highest concentration of photoreceptor cells and the part that gives us our detailed central vision. Beyond a certain…

A crucial yet oft-overlooked component of a high-quality life is healthy eyesight. Approximately one in six adults grapple with sight-threatening eye conditions, while a significant number experience some degree of vision loss as they age. Aging is a risk factor for prevalent causes of blindness, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and cataracts. However,…

As winter rolls in, the days get shorter, making night driving harder to avoid. For those of us without perfect eyesight, this annual adjustment can be stressful and potentially dangerous if we neglect the specific challenges posed by driving in the dark. Fortunately, a few simple precautions can significantly impact our safety on the road,…

Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system turns on healthy cells. Some of these diseases can have a serious and negative impact on the health and function of the eyes. For those grappling with autoimmune conditions, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential effects on vision. Let’s delve into some of the…

Smoking causes harm to every organ in the body, including the eyes. We usually think of lung cancer first when it comes to the harms of smoking, and maybe we think of oral health issues next, but even the parts of the body that don’t come into direct contact with the smoke are in danger.…

The same compound that determines our skin color also creates the variety of eye colors we see. In fact, it’s the very same compound that protects our skin and eyes from getting damaged by the sun (though we still need sunglasses and sunscreen to finish the job). So how can one compound (melanin) result in…

Since at least 60 AD, people have been crafting tools to correct vision problems. There are records of Roman philosopher Seneca magnifying text with a glass globe of water. Emperor Nero needed a magnifying emerald to see gladiator fights more clearly. We don’t have to resort to these kinds of rudimentary visual aids today, but…

Insufficient sleep can affect the mind and body like alcohol, but what does it do to our eyes? For the sake of both our overall health and our eye health, we need to be getting plenty of sleep, but it’s actually a two-way street. If we are more careful about what we put in front…