Melanin, the same compound that determines skin and hair color, is also responsible for different eye colors. Melanin helps to protect the eye by absorbing light (including some UV light) that hits the iris, which is the part of the eye that controls the amount of light that reaches the retina. How Rare Are Different […]
The History of Corrective Lenses
People have been using tools to help them see clearly since at least 60 A.D. Roman philosopher Seneca is recorded to have used a glass globe of water to magnify text, while Emperor Nero would use a magnifying emerald to see gladiator fights better. We no longer need to resort to using water bowls or […]
How Sleep and Vision Intersect
Sleep deprivation hits the body and mind a lot like alcohol, but how does it affect our eyes? Getting enough sleep is great for our overall health and our eye health alike. At the other end of things, we can improve the quality of our sleep if we are more careful about what we put […]
Caring for Our Eye Health As We Age
Our eyesight, among many other things, tends to change as we get older. For any serious changes, it’s critical to get an early diagnosis. Many sight-threatening conditions that are associated with advancing age are combatted best by being discovered in the early stages. That’s the biggest we encourage more frequent eye exams for older patients, […]
How Often Do We Need Eye Exams?
Most dentists will recommend a cleaning and dental exam twice a year, but how often do we need our eyes checked? It’s as important to get preventative care for our eyes as for our teeth, and that means getting eye exams when we don’t need an updated prescription for our glasses or contact lenses. Human […]
How Do Animals See?
Human eyes are amazing, but there are some eyes in the animal kingdom that are pretty impressive too. Let’s look at a few of the most powerful eyes in nature and find out what makes them work so differently from the way ours do. The Main Similarities and Differences The main thing all eyes have […]
Comprehensive Eye Exams and Education
Name five things you would expect to find in every school nurse’s office. Was the big E eye chart on your list? That’s the Snellen chart, named after Herman Snellen, a 19th-century Dutch eye doctor who developed it, and it’s a great diagnostic tool for catching nearsightedness. Unfortunately, nearsightedness is far from the only vision […]
The Best Foods for Healthy Eyes
Eating carrots is supposed to improve our eyesight, right? That’s actually a leftover idea from a British propaganda campaign during World War II. The British wanted to keep their newly developed radar technology a secret from the Germans, so they claimed as far and wide as possible that their airmen developed superhuman night vision by […]
New to Glasses? Here’s Why They Rock.
Starting to wear glasses can be a big change for kids. They may often be tempted to leave their glasses at home instead of wearing them to school, even if that comes at the expense of hours of squinting and fuzzy scenery. We’re here to help parents appreciate the advantages that come with wearing their […]
Cataract Treatment Across History
The world’s leading cause of blindness has always been cataracts. Naturally, treatment has come a long way. In the US alone, over 20 million adults over the age of 40 will develop cataracts. By age 80, half of all US adults will have them. In a healthy eye, the lens is filled with transparent proteins. […]