A vast amount of the activities we do in our daily lives is dependent on our ability to see clearly. Approximately 4.2 billion people around the globe suffer from some type of visual affliction, 80% of which could be avoided and/or cured with proper vision correction. Being visually impaired affects your work productivity and makes simple tasks take more time to complete. In the United States alone 283,000 years of time were collectively lost in 2013 due to visual impairment. It is hard to fathom what might have been accomplished during that lost time.

For many of us, blinking is just something humans do, but it actually plays a major role in maintaining good eye health. Due to the liquid nature of our eyes, debris frequently gets stuck on the ocular surface of the eye quite easily. The eyelids help to clean this ocular surface every time we blink, meanwhile supplying fresh tears and nutrients across the surface of the eye helping to prevent dry eye symptoms.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about our eyes. I’m sure you’ve heard of the old myth where if someone hits you in the back of the head while you are crossing your eyes they will get stuck. Well, that is just one of the many silly myths that have come up over the years. The American Academy of Ophthalmology publishes a list of these myths on their website, but here is our “Top 4 Myths About Your Eyes.”

The human eye is an incredibly complex piece of biological engineering, it allows us to see by translating light into electrical signals and sending them to our brains. Due to the complexity of the human eye there are some things you might not know.

Most people over the age of 40 that suffer vision loss are developing cataracts. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness throughout the entire world. The number of cases of cataracts far eclipse the amount of glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy cases combined!

According to the CDC, 99% of contact lens wearers in America are putting their eyes at risk of infection by not regularly practicing good contact lens hygiene. Dr. Tyson joins The Wall Street Journal to discuss this widespread issue.

Runny nose? Scratchy throat? Sneezing? These can all be caused by allergies, but allergies can effect a lot more than your nose and throat. The eyes are subject to many different allergens as well, and unfortunately many people are susceptible to these allergies.

If you live in California, then you are probably familiar with the dangers of wildfires. Wildfires spread quickly and cause a lot of damage to the ecosystem and neighboring towns. Setting aside the obvious danger from the spread of fire, the smoke can be equally as detrimental to your health. Massive plumes of smoke created by wildfire can damage your lungs, but were you aware that the smoke can cause damage to your eyes as well?

In most cases, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of virtual reality headsets is their function in the wonderful world of entertainment. Virtual reality is considered the new frontier of the entertainment world, but could there be more to the technology than meets the eye?

Diabetes is a growing issue throughout the world, with an estimated 382 million people suffering from it in 2013. If not treated, diabetes can lead to other serious medical complications such as: ischemic heart disease, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke—but did you know that diabetes can also affect your eyes?