Eye Color Reveal Health Risks

An article by Madeline Vann, MPH, Medically reviewed by Niya Jones MD, MPH, published on everydayhealth, talks about the how eye color reveal health risks. While we are highlighting only the eye problems to be expected, to know more about these and other problems, we recommend that you read the original article (link given above).

You can't judge a person's health by her eye color, but there are some truths about color and health that can be surprising. Health risks or certain physical abilities may be related to eye color, you really can’t predict health outcomes or quality of vision based on color alone.

Here are some factoids about eye color.

Blue eyes: According to the Ruth Williams, MD, president-elect of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and an ophthalmologist at the Wheaton Eye Clinic in Chicago.”People with blue eye tend to be more light-sensitive due to due to the sparsity of light-absorbing pigment in the eye”.

Gray, green, and blue eyes: Lighter-colored eyes may mean an increased risk for cancer because lighter eyes have less pigment to protect them from harmful ultraviolet rays. "People with light iris color need to be diligent in wearing UV-protected sunglasses," advises Dr. Williams.

Brown eyes: A study done at the University of Louisville showed that people with brown eyes have slightly better reaction times when participating in certain athletic activities than light-eyed people.

Annual eye exams will help you stay on top of changes in the blood vessels in the eye that could reflect the effects of diabetes, high blood pressure, or glaucoma. You can drop in at 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore any of our three locations in Florida for your eye exam.