Complete coverage on

Eyesight and Eye Health

CNN's John Zarrella introduces us to a young woman who can barely see but has a clear vision of her future.

Latest Stories

Partially blind triathlete sues over requirement he wear blackout glassesupdated: Mon Apr 30 2012 15:36:00

A legally blind athlete is suing three triathlon groups over a rule that makes him and other vision-impaired runners wear blackout glasses -- leaving them temporarily sightless -- in a controversial effort to "level the playing field.''

Voice controls let blind gamer 'hang' with friends onlineupdated: Thu Dec 01 2011 11:47:00

In recent years, social games have become increasingly prevalent on mobile devices, providing entertainment, yes, but also a way to maintain contact with family and friends.

She can see clearly now, with an implanted lensupdated: Wed Nov 23 2011 12:11:00

I used to chuckle at people who complained about their glasses -- their thin, wispy glasses.

Human echolocation lets blind man 'see'updated: Wed Nov 09 2011 08:42:00

Can a series of sounds help a blind man, in a sense, see? Daniel Kish takes CNN on a road-test of his echolocation.

Blind man uses his ears to seeupdated: Wed Nov 09 2011 08:42:00

Follow Daniel Kish out onto a dock and ask him about the view.

Will my macular degeneration treatment cause blindness?updated: Wed Oct 19 2011 09:36:00

I have wet macular degeneration that is being "successfully" treated with Avastin. Please comment on reports of blindness related to this treatment. Many thanks!

How can I treat macular degeneration of the eye?updated: Wed Aug 24 2011 08:19:00

Is there a treatment for macular degeneration of the eye?

New research an eye opener on cause of myopiaupdated: Wed Jun 01 2011 05:01:00

While the belief that prolonged close-up activities like reading and playing computer games cause short sightedness (myopia) is popularly held, new research indicates that a deficiency of sunlight is the true culprit.

Computers and your child's eyesightupdated: Wed Jun 01 2011 05:01:00

Is the digital age making your child near sighted? CNN's Pauline Chiou talks to experts. The answer may surprise you.

What are eye floaters?updated: Mon May 30 2011 07:39:00

I'm 39 years old and have had a few floaters in both eyes for as long as I can remember. I go to the eye doctor every year for my glasses but forget to ask about these floaters. What causes them? Do I need to worry?

Blind man files discrimination suit over law school admission testupdated: Wed May 25 2011 19:58:00

A blind Michigan man, rejected by three law schools after scoring poorly on the Law School Admission Test, is suing the American Bar Association, arguing that the group's exam requirements discriminate against the visually impaired.

CNNMoney: Bye bifocals! New specs change focusupdated: Tue Apr 19 2011 09:35:00

If you're reading these words through bifocals or progressive lenses, your life could change in June.

22 commonly confused job titles: What do these workers actually do?updated: Mon Jan 17 2011 09:48:00

Many jobs have similar-sounding names, which can lead to confusion. Type in "ornithologist" when you meant to search the Web for an orthodontist and you'll find someone who can identify the bird in your yard, but not help with an overbite. Here are some other occupational mix-ups:

Pioneering surgery helping blind to seeupdated: Wed Nov 03 2010 15:55:00

Second phase trials have started across Europe into pioneering eye surgery that allows some blind people to see.

Scary symptoms that are (really!) no big dealupdated: Tue Sep 28 2010 08:20:00

Our bodies have an amazing capacity to freak us out.

My daughter can turn her eye inward at will -- should I worry?updated: Mon Aug 23 2010 08:55:00

My 3-year-old daughter has a trick. She can turn her right eye completely inward at will. We noticed it when she was an infant and have taken her several times to a pediatric ophthalmologist. He checked her out, dilated her pupils and suggested that there was nothing wrong, especially now that she has control over it. Should I stop worrying about it now, or go get a second opinion (the second opinion would be quite a drive)?

A look at the 10 aid workers killed in Afghanistanupdated: Mon Aug 09 2010 10:33:00

The International Assistance Mission on Monday identified the 10 aid workers killed by gunmen in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, last week. The 10 "were our friends and colleagues from the Nuristan medical eye camp team," the organization said in a statement.

'A hundred rockets a day was a good day,' doctor's widow saysupdated: Sun Aug 08 2010 17:45:00

Risking their lives to help disadvantaged Afghans became almost a norm for Tom and Libby Little.

Afghanistan medical mission ends in deathupdated: Sun Aug 08 2010 17:45:00

CNN's Allen Chernoff has the story of Tom Little, one of 6 Americans executed in a remote part of Afghanistan.

Is it OK for diabetic to use corn remover on feet?updated: Wed Jul 14 2010 08:40:00

I am a type 2 diabetic with an average hemoglobin A1C of 6.1. Would it be safe to use an over-the-counter liquid corn remover on my foot?

How is glaucoma detected?updated: Wed Jun 23 2010 08:26:00

Can you tell me about glaucoma? What is it? How is it detected? What happens if it is not treated?

Can 3-D movies, television make you sick?updated: Fri Apr 23 2010 08:07:00

Take your thumb and hold it out directly in front of you, away from your face. Now close the left eye. Open it and close the right eye.

Healthy food for your eyesupdated: Sat Apr 17 2010 09:05:00

We've all heard that carrots play a huge role in overall eye health but what else can you eat to improve the health of your eyes and reduce the risk of disease?

SI.com: David Epstein: Previewing bobsled competition in Vancouverupdated: Thu Feb 18 2010 12:29:00

SI.com's writers will preview each event from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Here's David Epstein's look ahead to bobsled.

Why do I need bifocals? Can I avoid them?updated: Thu Jan 28 2010 12:47:00

I have worn glasses for nearsightedness since I was 15. I recently turned 40 and sometimes have trouble focusing on small things close up (such as text messages on my cell phone or restaurant menus). My eye doctor says I may need bifocals. Why did this happen and what can I do to avoid wearing bifocals?

Bionic eye restores some sightupdated: Fri Dec 11 2009 04:04:00

Barbara Campbell, blind for most of her life, today can see shapes and sense light, thanks to an artificial retina.

Artificial retina gives woman limited vision after decades of darknessupdated: Fri Dec 11 2009 04:04:00

As a thick, gray haze began to descend over the words in her schoolbooks, and eventually the faces of loved ones, Barbara Campbell barely grasped that she was going blind.

Microchip may help blind people see againupdated: Thu Sep 24 2009 10:49:00

A chip inside the eye that can help blind people see again is moving closer to reality as researchers at MIT work on a retinal implant that can bypass damaged cells and directly offer visual input to the brain.

Liquid specs a bold vision for world's poorupdated: Sun Sep 20 2009 00:58:00

In the developing world millions of people struggle to operate machinery, read from a blackboard, or just see the world around them, because they don't have access to the eyeglasses they need.

Eye tooth surgeryupdated: Wed Sep 16 2009 22:11:00

CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports on a surgery where a tooth was used to save a woman's sight.

Tooth helps restore desperate woman's sightupdated: Wed Sep 16 2009 22:11:00

Nine years of blindness almost drove Sharron "Kay" Thornton to suicide.

New techniques slow progress of age-related vision lossupdated: Mon Sep 07 2009 09:41:00

When Albert Budacz was young, he prided himself on having good eyesight; he never wore glasses. But as he eased into his late 40s, he couldn't see as well. "I noticed a change in my vision," he explained. "Primarily in church when I would open a Bible, or something like that, I had to position myself under a light to see it."

Macular degeneration problemsupdated: Mon Sep 07 2009 09:41:00

It's important to get your eyes examined to ward off loss of eyesight as CNN.com's Melissa Long reports.

Teen who cries blood gets help from expertsupdated: Fri Sep 04 2009 14:09:00

Calvino Inman had just stepped out of the shower one evening in May when a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror caused him to panic. "I looked up and saw myself, and I thought I was going to die," says the 15-year-old from Rockwood, Tennessee. His eyes were streaming tears of blood.

The boy who cries bloodupdated: Fri Sep 04 2009 14:09:00

A family is seeking treatment for a rare condition that has a teen crying blood.

Titanium eye transplantupdated: Thu May 14 2009 09:55:00

A man is able to see his wife and kids after 17 years of partial blindess due to breakthrough titanium eye transplant surgery.

Being blind, 'you have to be adventurous'updated: Thu May 14 2009 09:55:00

When George Pinon thinks of colors, he associates them with what other people have described.

Fish, olive oil, nuts good for eyes too, more studies findupdated: Wed May 13 2009 15:46:00

Do you want to keep your vision clear as the years go by? Put fish, olive oil, and nuts on the menu, but stay away from trans fats, according to new research from Australia.

Easy ways to protect your eyesupdated: Thu Mar 05 2009 09:27:00

Been squinting a lot lately? Have to move your magazine six inches away from your eyes to read it? Vision problems creep up on you as you age. But good habits -- not unlike the ones you've already established to protect your heart, bones, and brain -- can help keep your eyes healthy. Try these simple tips to safeguard your vision now and for years to come.

New hope for preventing age-related macular degenerationupdated: Wed Feb 25 2009 11:11:00

Researchers may be getting closer to an effective way of preventing age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans.

Circus for visually impairedupdated: Mon Feb 23 2009 10:26:00

When the circus came to Atlanta, some visually impaired children got a very special lesson.

Circus turns touchy-feely for visually impaired kidsupdated: Mon Feb 23 2009 10:26:00

An enormous Asian elephant stepped out from behind a big red curtain at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Atlanta, Georgia.

Six health problems your child may inherit from youupdated: Mon Feb 16 2009 13:58:00

While tucking our sons into bed the other night, I was struck by how many of their physical attributes they've inherited from my husband and me. Eleven-year-old Nate has my heart-shaped face, large eyes, and cowlicky hair, along with my husband's mouth and freckles. Six-year-old Nicky, on the other hand, has the same green eyes and dirty-blond hair that I do, but my husband's nose and chin.

Gene therapy aids vision for 3 with rare blindnessupdated: Mon Dec 22 2008 12:53:00

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania announced in April 2008 the use of an innovative gene therapy treatment to safely restore vision in three adults with a rare form of congenital blindness. The technique involves an injection that delivers DNA to the nucleus of a cell so it can begin making the protein that the blind patients don't have. Although the patients have not achieved normal eyesight, the results set the stage for possible treatment of other retinal diseases.

Smoking quadruples risk for vision-stealing eye diseaseupdated: Mon Dec 22 2008 12:43:00

Age-related macular degeneration is a baby-boomer disease that, according to the American Medical Association, affects more than 10 million Americans. It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over age 65. A study published in the July 2007 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology found that current smokers are four times more likely to develop this eye problem than nonsmokers.

CNN Heroes: Help for the blindupdated: Tue Sep 16 2008 11:09:00

Following a personal tragedy, Chandrasekhar Sankurathri devoted his life to providing eye care to the blind in India.

Glasses, eye patches look more friendly to kidsupdated: Tue Jun 10 2008 09:20:00

When doctors told Kelly Harmsen that her son, Joshua, 2, had amblyopia, or lazy eye, she couldn't imagine keeping an eye patch on him for three hours a day. He pulled it off after about 30 seconds.

Eye Care for Allupdated: Mon Jun 09 2008 07:48:00

Jennifer talks to Margaret Duah-Mensah, an opthalmic nurse for Unite For Sight who regularly visits the Buduburam Refugee camp.

CNNMoney: Paper money unfair to blind - courtupdated: Tue May 20 2008 15:38:00

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Treasury Department is violating the law by failing to design and issue currency that is readily distinguishable to blind and visually impaired people.

Time.com: Court: Money Has Anti-Blind Biasupdated: Tue May 20 2008 12:00:00

The U.S. discriminates against blind people by printing paper money that makes it impossible for them to distinguish among the bills' varying values, a federal appeals court ruled

Time.com: FDA Investigating Lasik Complaintsupdated: Fri Apr 25 2008 15:00:00

A decade after Lasik eye surgery hit the market, patients left with fuzzy instead of clear vision are airing their grievances before federal health officials

People.com: Dannielynn 'Resting Comfortably' After Eye Surgery updated: Wed Feb 27 2008 12:23:00

Larry Birkhead and Anna Nicole Smith's 1-year-old daughter Dannielynn is "resting comfortably" after undergoing corrective eye surgery, Birkhead tells Entertainment Tonight.

Vitamin C can keep you healthy, looking youngerupdated: Wed Feb 27 2008 09:11:00

Remember when vitamin C was hailed as the best, and maybe only, cold remedy? Then it became the Rodney Dangerfield of vitamins: It didn't get any respect.

A volunteer's eye viewupdated: Tue Jan 29 2008 06:27:00

Vanessa Hux went to Ghana with Unite For Sight to help an ophthalmologist give eye care to a community of two million.

Eye care in Ghana's refugee campsupdated: Mon Jan 21 2008 05:41:00

Jennifer Staple runs the Unite For Sight program which started in the U.S., but has branched out into working overseas.

Unite for Sight in Africaupdated: Thu Nov 29 2007 07:18:00

Jennifer Staple runs the Unite For Sight program which started in the U.S., but has branched out into working overseas.

Fortune: Stem cells bring sight to the blind in Indiaupdated: Wed Oct 24 2007 06:54:00

Eye surgeon Virendar Sangwan has perfected a procedure so cutting-edge that most who have tried it have failed. In an operating theater in the central Indian city of Hyderabad, he surgically implants corneas grown in a petri dish from stem cells by his colleague Geeta Vemuganti in patients with damaged eyes. Together they perform about 80 corneal regeneration procedures a year, making the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute where they work one of the most prolific facilities in the world using stem cells to regenerate tissue of any kind.

Traveling to Ghanaupdated: Tue Oct 23 2007 06:47:00

Jennifer Staple runs the Unite For Sight program which started in the U.S., but has branched out into working overseas.

Jennifer's Blog: Expanding Unite for Sightupdated: Tue Oct 09 2007 04:27:00

Jennifer Staple runs the Unite For Sight program which started in the U.S., but has branched out into working overseas.

Robots tricked by optical illusionsupdated: Mon Oct 08 2007 09:16:00

Researchers at University College London (UCL) are helping to explain why humans see illusions.

Time.com: An Eye on Contact Lens Solutions updated: Fri Jun 01 2007 16:45:00

The recall of Complete MoisturePlus, which the CDC says may be linked to a blinding eye condition, is just the latest problem for solutions

Fortune: New U.S. bills: blind justice?updated: Thu Jan 11 2007 09:36:00

In late November, when a federal district judge ruled that American greenbacks violate the federal Rehabilitation Act because the various denominations are not readily distinguishable by blind peop...

Government resists altering money for blind peopleupdated: Tue Dec 12 2006 18:37:00

The Bush administration on Tuesday asked a federal court to overturn a lower-court ruling requiring the federal government redesign the nation's paper money to help blind people differentiate between denominations of bills.

Don't get so close: A guide for computer workupdated: Thu Nov 30 2006 13:34:00

Remember when your mom told you not to sit too close to the television, because it would ruin your eyes? Well, how many hours of the day or evening do you spend sitting just a couple of feet from your computer screen?

CNNMoney: Judge rules paper money unfair to blindupdated: Tue Nov 28 2006 17:11:00

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Treasury Department is violating the law by failing to design and issue currency that is readily distinguishable to blind and visually impaired people.

Fortune: L'Occitane leading the blindupdated: Tue Nov 21 2006 12:40:00

ON A VISIT to one of his company's boutiques in 1996, L'Occitane en Provence founder Olivier Baussan noticed a blind woman sampling perfumes. After marveling at the intensity with which she inhaled...

CNNMoney: Genentech vision-loss drug gets FDA approvalupdated: Fri Jun 30 2006 15:39:00

The FDA approved Genentech's drug for age-related vision loss, a potential blockbuster that would treat the leading cause of blindness in older people.

CNNMoney: Lilly: Drug cuts diabetics' vision lossupdated: Sun Jun 11 2006 12:56:00

An experimental drug from Eli Lilly & Co. reduces the risk of vision loss in diabetics, who often suffer declining eyesight, according to studies released Sunday.

CNNMoney: Genentech: An expensive darlingupdated: Mon Jan 09 2006 12:17:00

Genentech is still the darling of the biotech industry. The problem is everyone knows it.

Surgeon pioneers cornea techniqueupdated: Fri Dec 23 2005 11:18:00

A British eye surgeon says he has come up with a technique that he believes will revolutionize the way cornea transplants are carried out.

This week in the medical journalsupdated: Thu Sep 29 2005 14:57:00

New uses for old drugs?

This week in the medical journalsupdated: Thu Jun 23 2005 13:19:00

Critical time

Study: Antibiotics often unnecessary but make patients happy updated: Wed Jun 22 2005 12:58:00

When people leave a doctor's office after being seen for a cough they feel better immediately if they are clutching a little piece of paper that a druggist will exchange for a bottle of antibiotics.

CNNMoney: Genentech eyes vision marketupdated: Tue May 24 2005 13:01:00

A new drug developed by Genentech to treat vision loss could shake up the market for drugs treating age-related blindness, analysts say.

Business 2.0: RNA Interferenceupdated: Fri Oct 01 2004 00:01:00

Discovered just six years ago, RNA interference (RNAI) is now the "it" technology for drug development. RNAI works by destroying strands of messenger RNA responsible for producing harmful proteins....

Young owl flies to freedom with new set of eyesupdated: Fri May 14 2004 08:39:00

A great horned owl named Minerva is making history in the treetops of eastern Wisconsin. At least, her eyes are. Veterinarians say she's the only animal in the world, in the wild, with surgically implanted artificial lenses.

Hall of fame inducts space tech starsupdated: Wed Apr 07 2004 09:48:00

The uses for new space technologies developed by NASA and industry professionals are not limited to Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Often such technologies can be spun off into commercial products that better the lives of humans firmly rooted to terra firma.

Fortune: See Me! Hear Me!updated: Mon Oct 27 2003 00:01:00

It's just the kind of dilemma that entrepreneurs like David Green love. The West has cutting-edge, high-tech medicine, but the poor of the world, who sorely need it, can't come close to affording i...

Fortune: Closing In On Perfection Ultraprecision machine tools are putting manufacturers within nanometers of absolute accuracy.updated: Mon Jun 23 2003 00:01:00

A new chapter is being written in the history of light manipulation. Lenses that return sight to the blind. Smaller ones, the size of a lentil, that make DVD and CD players possible. High-tech ligh...

Fortune: The Future Looks Bright for VISX New technology is about to give a boost to this maker of vision-correction lasers.updated: Mon Apr 28 2003 00:01:00

Americans, it turns out, are wild about having their corneas sliced. Corrective laser eye surgery, which debuted in 1995, is now the most common elective surgical procedure in the United States. Of...

Business 2.0: Better, Stronger, Faster, etc. Once reserved for $6 million megababes, bionics for the rest of us are finally here.updated: Sat Mar 01 2003 00:01:00

Bionics used to be the stuff of TV fantasy--a 1970s plot device about humans who received mechanical implants to become, well, Lindsay Wagner with reverb sound effects. It took three decades, but t...

Fortune: Who Reads Braille on Drive-Through ATMs?updated: Mon Dec 18 2000 00:01:00

Usually machines equipped with Braille remind us that humans are generally compassionate and considerate. But finding Braille on drive-through ATMs is almost as disconcerting as discovering it in t...

Money Magazine: Why Popular Laser Eye Surgery To Correct Your Vision Is Becoming More Affordableupdated: Tue Feb 01 2000 00:01:00

If you're one of the millions of Americans on the fence about having laser eye surgery to improve your vision, chances are two things are holding you back. One is the uneasy thought of someone appl...

Fortune: Should You Have Your Eyes Lasered? Critics say we won't see the truth about laser eye surgery for years. That hasn't slowed thisupdated: Mon Sep 27 1999 00:01:00

Saturday mornings in Dr. Barrie Soloway's ophthalmology clinic have the feel of an old-time revival meeting. Maybe not when you first walk into the bright white, marble-floored waiting room: There,...

Fortune: A MAN WITH A VISION CONSOLIDATES THE EYE-CARE BUSINESSupdated: Mon Apr 17 1995 00:01:00

Hey, no fair! This guy grew up riding ponies and collecting butterflies on an English country estate. He went to fancy private schools. He learned dealmaking from his father. Old money is usually m...

Fortune: FOCUSING ON LASER EYE SURGERY DAVID MULLER SIZED UP HIS BOSSES AND THOUGHT, "THEY'RE NO DIFFERENT FROM ME. updated: Mon Feb 20 1995 00:01:00

Chances are, you've never heard of Summit Technology in Waltham, Massachusetts. But if you are one of the 60 million or so nearsighted Americans who wear glasses or contact lenses and would prefer ...

Money Magazine: HOW TO SAVE DOLLARS AND MAKE SENSE WHEN YOU BUY CONTACT LENSESupdated: Sun May 01 1994 00:01:00

About 24 million Americans wear contact lenses. So what? So this: At least half of them probably paid double or more what they could have for their first pair of lenses and subsequent replacements....

Fortune: ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE AN ANTIDOTE TO HEALTH COSTS?updated: Mon Apr 05 1993 00:01:00

Health care spending, as we all know, is so out of control that only a radically new management system can rein it in. But wait a minute: How come costs in America's $12 billion eye care industry -...

Fortune: TECHNOLOGY TO WATCH A BIOTECH CURE FOR A KIND OF BLINDNESS A drop of protein ''glue'' helps people with a rare, previously untreupdated: Mon Nov 30 1992 00:01:00

The human eye works much like a camera, with the light-absorbing retina that lines the interior wall serving as nature's instant photographic film. A pinhead-size point critical for sharp straight-...

Fortune: HOW TO GET RICH OFF PERESTROIKA A surgeon named Svyatoslav Fyodorov has built an eye-care empire based on his pioneering operatiupdated: Mon May 08 1989 00:01:00

PERESTROIKA, Mikhail Gorbachev's economic restructuring, has been full of surprises. The most startling may be the rise of Svyatoslav Fyodorov, a medical entrepreneur who has all the trappings of G...

Money Magazine: A Clear-Sighted Look at the New Contacts Cheaper, safer and more hassle-free than ever, $100 to $400 contacts are now an attractupdated: Fri Apr 01 1988 00:01:00

- Okay, what's your excuse? You don't like contact lenses because you refuse to spend half your mornings putting them in? Or half your nights cleaning them? You can't bear to crawl around on all fo...

Money Magazine: Buying eyeglasses: a Money survey finds disturbing defects at any priceupdated: Wed Jul 01 1987 00:01:00

The U.S. eyewear market tops $8 billion a year, not counting $1.8 billion for eye examinations. Yet the family optometrist faces urban extinction, as chains such as Pearle Vision Center (with more ...

We recommend

From around the web