View episode show notes here: https://bit.ly/3txyrBU Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/4c602k2 Steven Dell is an ophthalmologist, current Medical Director of Dell Laser Consultants, and a leader in refractive eye surgery with over 20 patents to his name. In this episode, Steven explains the anatomy and functional mechanics of the eye and how they relate to common variations in vision. He discusses changes in vision that occur with aging, the fundamentals of different types of vision loss, and provides an in-depth look into the various treatments and procedures available for corrective eye surgery. Additionally, Steven explains how one might protect the eyes and prevent vision loss—a topic particularly important for children in light of the epidemic of myopia. We discuss: 0:00:00 - intro 0:00:10 - Why Steven chose ophthalmology, and the crossovers to other medical disciplines 0:11:33 - Anatomy of the eye, common types of vision loss, and age-related vision changes 0:25:21 - Eye drops that can potentially improve vision 0:31:25 - The explanation for different eye colors 0:33:04 - Physiology of the eye and its connections to the brain 0:39:37 - Understanding human vision through an evolutionary lens 0:46:06 - Enhancing vision beyond 20/20 0:50:42 - Astigmatism: definition, cause, and high prevalence 0:53:17 - Nearsightedness (myopia): causes, epidemic in children, and prevention strategies 1:04:58 - Cataracts: impact of aging and how they can be repaired 1:20:07 - Lens implants that can correct and improve vision 1:27:50 - Effects of eye trauma 1:30:14 - Corneal abrasion from ‘dry eye’: causes, treatment, and prevention strategies 1:36:54 - Sunglasses for eye protection 1:44:32 - Solutions to correct nearsightedness 1:48:27 - Laser eye surgery—photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) 2:05:41 - Laser eye surgery—LASIK 2:16:01 - Laser eye surgery—small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) 2:18:02 - Glaucoma: definition, causes, symptoms, and care 2:24:35 - Tips for preserving eye health 2:29:11 - Screen time and eye health 2:32:41 - Contact lenses: good hygiene and considerations 2:34:11 - A bonus benefit from repairing cataracts 2:36:48 - Questions about corrective eye surgery 2:39:05 - How an eye exam can be a window into metabolic illness -------- About: The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 35 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). Learn more: https://bit.ly/373NBY8 Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://bit.ly/3vAsW8l Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/35sVPIR Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGoogle