Doctor Eye Health Podcast

What can your eyes reveal about your overall health? Redness, yellowing, unequal pupils, eyelid bumps, corneal rings, and pain with eye movement may sometimes point to health concerns involving the liver, thyroid, cholesterol, nervous system, or immune system. On the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen explains nine visible eye signs that may offer clues about what is happening elsewhere i...

What are the best foods for eye health? Pistachios, leafy greens, goji berries, oily fish, oysters, sweet potatoes, kiwi, turmeric, and saffron provide nutrients that may support the retina, tear film, night vision, and long-term eye health. In this episode of the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen shares nine of his favorite foods for healthy eyes and explains why carrots are not at the...

What should you know before cataract surgery, and how do you choose the right lens implant for your vision? Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed eye surgeries, but deciding when to have surgery, what type of lens implant to choose, and what recovery will actually look like can feel overwhelming. In this episode of the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen sits down with oph...

What is the rarest eye color in the world? Dr. Joseph Allen ranks nine eye-color appearances from the most common to the rarest while explaining the genetics, pigments and medical conditions that can influence how the eyes look. On the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, discover why brown is the world’s most common eye color, why blue eyes do not contain blue pigment and what makes green, gray, amber and...

How much omega-3 should you take for dry eyes? Research commonly evaluates between 1,000 and 3,000 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA daily, but the benefits can vary depending on the person, dosage, supplement quality and type of dry eye disease. On the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen examines the research behind omega-3 fatty acids for dry eye relief. He explains how omega-3s may hel...

Can Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications cause vision loss? Emerging research is examining a possible connection between semaglutide and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, a rare condition that causes sudden and often permanent vision loss. On the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen explains what current research says about GLP-1 medications and eye health,...

Can too much sugar affect your eyesight? Elevated blood sugar can cause blurry vision, cataracts, eye floaters, dry eye and diabetic retinopathy. In severe cases, it may contribute to retinal detachment, double vision and permanent vision loss. On the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen explains 10 ways high blood sugar can affect the eyes. He breaks down what happens when sugar damages th...

How do your eyes change as you age and what can you do to protect your vision? Dr. Joseph Allen explains the most common age-related eye conditions, including presbyopia, cataracts, drooping eyelids and age-related macular degeneration. Getting older may be unavoidable, but vision loss is not always inevitable. Understanding how aging affects the eyes can help you recognize early warning signs, ma...

What causes meibomian gland dysfunction and how is it treated? Meibomian gland dysfunction, or MGD, occurs when the oil glands in the eyelids become blocked or inflamed, leading to evaporative dry eye, blurry vision, redness, irritation and watery eyes. An estimated 80% to 90% of dry eye cases show signs of meibomian gland dysfunction, yet many people do not recognize the symptoms. Eye fatigue, li...

Why do so many dry eye treatments fail, even after trying prescription eye drops, warm compresses, IPL, supplements, and expensive procedures? Most dry eye treatments fail because dry eye disease usually has multiple underlying causes that require a personalized treatment plan, not a single solution. On the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, board-certified optometrist Dr. Joseph Allen sits down with lead...

Are eye floaters dangerous? Should you worry if you suddenly notice floating spots, cobwebs, or dark specks drifting across your vision? In this episode of the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, board-certified optometrist Dr. Joseph Allen explains everything you need to know about eye floaters, including what causes them, when they're considered a medical emergency, and the latest treatment options avail...

Cheap vs. expensive sunglasses: Which sunglasses actually protect your eyes? Are premium sunglasses worth the money, or will cheap sunglasses provide the same UV protection? In this episode of the Dr. Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen compares cheap sunglasses, polarized sunglasses, and premium sunglasses to explain UV protection, polarized lenses, eye health, and how to choose the best sunglas...

Could your hormones be causing your dry eyes? Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause affect far more than hot flashes. They can impact your vision, eye comfort, sleep, mood, brain health, muscle mass, and overall quality of life. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Allen sits down with menopause specialist Dr. Jen Zelovitzky to explain how declining estrogen affects the eyes and why so many w...

Looking for the best eye cream for dark circles, under eye bags, puffiness, and wrinkles? The skincare aisle is packed with products promising brighter, younger-looking eyes, but which ingredients actually work? In this episode of the Doctor Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen breaks down the science behind under eye creams and reviews three eye cream options backed by research and clinical exper...

Most people believe the only ways to improve vision are glasses, contact lenses, or LASIK. But emerging research suggests there may be more to vision improvement than simply seeing smaller letters on an eye chart. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Allen explores the latest science behind vision improvement, eye health, red light therapy, macular degeneration, eye vitamins, contrast sensitivity, glare re...

Could intermittent fasting improve your vision and support better eye health? In this episode, Dr. Joseph Allen explores the science behind intermittent fasting, eye health, vision improvement, dry eye disease, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, inflammation, and healthy aging. Learn how intermittent fasting may help protect vision, support eye health, and influence common eye diseases. From reducing...

Experiencing blurred vision, double vision, headaches, dizziness, or difficulty reading after a concussion? You're not alone. On the Dr. Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen explores how concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can affect the visual system, even when a standard eye exam appears normal. Learn why symptoms such as eye strain, light sensitivity, trouble focusing, visual fatigue...

Can red light therapy actually improve your vision? Can red light therapy actually improve your vision? Optometrist Dr. Joseph Allen breaks down the latest research on red light therapy, photobiomodulation, macular degeneration, dry eye disease, diabetic retinopathy, and myopia control. Learn how red light affects retinal health, inflammation, mitochondria, and eye safety, plus the major risks of...

One snowboard crash changed everything. After suffering a concussion while snowboarding in Canada, Dr. Joseph Allen shares the emotional and physical reality of concussion recovery, traumatic brain injury, memory loss, and vision problems after concussion on this episode of the Doctor Eye Health podcast. Joined by neuro-optometrist Dr. Jacqueline Theis, they break down post-traumatic amnesia, brai...

Thinking about LASIK, PRK, ICL, or cataract surgery? The biggest risk to your vision isn’t the procedure, it’s what you do after. Learn the most common eye surgery recovery mistakes, how to prevent dry eye after surgery, and the exact steps to protect your vision and healing for the best possible outcome. Eye surgery recovery can make or break your results. Whether you’re preparing for LASIK, PRK,...

Preparing for eye surgery isn’t just about the procedure, it’s about optimizing your eye health, tear film, and recovery before you ever step into the clinic. Whether you're considering LASIK, PRK, cataract surgery, or ICL, the steps you take before surgery can directly impact your results, healing time, and risk of dry eye complications. On the Dr. Eye Health Podcast, Dr. Joseph Allen breaks down...

Struggling with red, itchy eyes, watery irritation, or puffy eyelids? Eye allergies can seriously mess with your day and even stop you from wearing contact lenses. The good news is there are simple, effective at-home remedies and over-the-counter solutions that can calm symptoms fast and help protect your eyes long term. Eye allergies are more common than most people realize, and they don’t just a...

Most people are taking omega-3 supplements wrong… and don’t even realize it. In this expert-led episode, omega-3 fatty acids are broken down simply covering EPA vs DHA, real omega-3 benefits, proper dosing, testing your omega-3 index, and the truth about side effects. Dr. Joseph Allen sits down with leading researcher Dr. Bill Harris to explain how omega-3 works in the body, how much EPA and DHA y...

Do sunglasses cause skin cancer? Are sunglasses bad for your eyes or actually protecting you from UV damage? Eye doctor Dr. Joseph Allen breaks down the truth about sunglasses, UV light exposure, and skin cancer risk. With viral claims spreading online, this episode explains how UV radiation affects your eyes and skin, whether sunglasses block “beneficial” sunlight, and if sunglasses could increas...

Red light therapy for eye health is everywhere right now, but what’s real, what’s hype, and what actually works? Dr. Joseph Allen sits down with ophthalmologist Dr. Robert Dotson to break down the science behind photobiomodulation, red light therapy, and how it may impact conditions like dry eye, macular degeneration, and more. With over 40 years of experience and decades researching light-based t...