Health ConditionsEye & Vision Health

Eye & Vision Health

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Good eye and vision health is an essential part of daily functioning. You may experience issues like blurred vision, dry eyes, or eye strain due to environmental, genetic, or behavioral factors, or you may develop progressive health conditions over time such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. Treatment will vary depending on the specific condition and may include medication, corrective lenses, or surgical procedures. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and regular eye examinations are crucial for preserving vision.

Common Questions & Answers

What are the most common eye problems?

Some of the most frequent eye conditions include refractive errors like nearsightedness and farsightedness, cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.

Regularly eating healthy food, like the Mediterranean diet, can help protect your vision. Foods rich in vitamins C and E, lutein, and zeaxanthin can preserve vision, even if you already have cataracts or glaucoma.

Excessive computer and phone use can lead to eye strain and other vision problems, but research has yet to find that it directly causes permanent eye damage.

Most adults over 40 should have a comprehensive eye exam every one to two years. But age, family history, and certain health conditions may require you to see an eye doctor more frequently.

Much of the time, there are no early symptoms for glaucoma. Depending on the type of glaucoma you have, you may experience blurred vision, blind spots in your side vision, headaches, or severe eye pain.

Meet Our Experts In Eye & Vision Health
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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
Edmund-Tsui-bio

Edmund Tsui, MD

Medical Reviewer

Edmund Tsui, MD, is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

He earned his medical degree from Dartmouth. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he was chief resident, followed by a fellowship in uveitis and ocular inflammatory disease at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology at the University of California in San Francisco.

Dr. Tsui is committed to advancing the field of ophthalmology. His research focuses on utilizing state-of-the-art ophthalmic imaging technology to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of uveitis. He is a co-investigator in several multicenter clinical trials investigating therapeutics for uveitis. He is the author of over 80 peer-reviewed publications and has given talks at national and international conferences.

Along with his clinical and research responsibilities, Tsui teaches medical students and residents. He is on the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's professional development and education committee, as well as the advocacy and outreach committee, which seeks to increase funding and awareness of vision research. He also serves on the editorial board of Ophthalmology and the executive committee of the American Uveitis Society.

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Ghazala O'Keefe, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor
Ghazala O'Keefe, MD, is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, where she also serves as the section director for uveitis and as a fellowship director. A retina and uveitis specialist, she cares for both pediatric patients and adults with inflammatory and infectious eye diseases. She oversees the largest uveitis section in the Southeast and manages the care of complex patients with physicians from other disciplines. 

She is the lead editor of the EyeWiki uveitis section. She is a member of the executive committee of the American Uveitis Society and was inducted into the International Uveitis Study Group. She has served as the director of the Southeastern Vitreoretinal Seminar since 2019.
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Daniel S. Casper, MD, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor
Daniel S. Casper, MD, PhD, is a professor emeritus of ophthalmology and a senior lecturer in ophthalmology at Columbia University. He teaches medical students at Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as residents in ophthalmology from Columbia and other programs, and he curates the JM Wheeler, MD, Rare Book and Artifact Collection at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Before retiring from clinical practice in 2023, Dr. Casper practiced comprehensive medical ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center, specializing in diabetic eye disease.

He completed his ophthalmology training, including residency and fellowship, at Columbia and has been affiliated with the university in various capacities since 1986. Casper co-edited the books Orbital Disease: Imaging and Analysis and The Columbia Guide to Basic Elements of Eye Care, and was the senior editor and illustrator for both titles.

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EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Eyes. Cleveland Clinic. November 15, 2023.
  2. Eye Conditions and Diseases. National Eye Institute.

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