Eye Health

You probably know that your diet impacts your health and wellness. You may be surprised to learn that your diet can even impact your vision and eye health. Mark Mandel, MD, celebrates National Nutrition Month. Here, he discusses three ways your diet could affect your vision and eye health.

Almost half of all eye injuries occur in and around the home. Most of these accidents can be prevented. To help educate and prevent eye injuries at home, Bay Area corneal specialist Mark Mandel, MD, celebrates Home Eye Safety Month. Here he provides his top tips on how to prevent eye injuries at home. 

Although the treatments for eye disease have never been more successful, it is far better to avoid conditions like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration in the first place. Multiple studies appearing in academic journals show a correlation between eating certain foods and preventing eye disease. Here Bay Area ophthalmologist Mark Mandel, MD, of Optima Eye,…

The cornea is the transparent, convex shield that protects the eye’s pupil and iris. It plays a key role in ensuring sharp vision by focusing incoming light on the retina. If the cornea is misshapen or becomes damaged, your eyesight will lose its clarity. Here, Bay Area cornea and LASIK specialist Mark Mandel, MD reviews several conditions that can affect the health and integrity of your cornea.

Rubbing your eyes is a natural response to itches, irritation and allergies. Most of us have been doing it for a very long time — since infancy, in fact. Watch a baby wake up in the morning and you’re very likely to observe this hardwired behavior.

Regularly checking your eye pressure is an important way you can help preserve your vision for a lifetime. Elevated eye pressure can occur without symptoms, and is as dangerous to your eyes as high blood pressure is to your organs. It is often the first sign that you may be developing glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness.

It’s not every day that a news story educates the public about the strong link between nutrition and ocular health. But it happened recently with the curious case of a British teen who survived for years on a diet centered on chips and crisps — or, as we like to call them in the U.S., French fries and Pringles. He rounded out his daily menu with white bread, sliced ham and sausages.

It is normal to notice changes in your vision as you get older. These may include loss of focus, having trouble distinguishing colors, and needing more time to adjust changing levels of light. Still, it is important to take precaution to minimize the risk of serious eye problems as you get older.

By now, you’re aware that wearing sunglasses is important to protect your eyes from the sun and harmful ultraviolet rays. But did you know not all eyes are created equal? Factors such as age and even eye color play a part in how much at risk a person is for UV damage. People with light-colored eyes, including hazel, green or blue eyes, are at higher risk for damage and eye diseases tied to UV exposure.

Despite the detrimental effect diabetes can have on ocular health, many people with diabetes are unaware of their risk. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recognizes November as “Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month” in an effort to familiarize the public with what diabetes can do to the eyes. Mark Mandel, MD, would like to join the AAO’s efforts and help make you aware of what diabetes can do to your eyes.