Department of Ophthalmology News and Stories

According to Naresh Mandava, MD,  chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the West Nile virus is a neurotrophic virus which means it primarily affects the nervous system. For patients like Sonny Hutchison with immunosuppressed systems, it can lead to temporary or — in rare instances — permanent vision problems.

Department of Ophthalmology resident Dallin Milner, MD, explains the perils of looking directly at the sun during a partial solar eclipse and how doing so can cause permanent eye damage. 

Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center specialists Niranjan Manoharan, MD, and Marc Mathias, MD, offer tips for safely viewing the eclipse and explain how retina tissue can be damaged — and will not regenerate, leading to permanent vision loss — if a person looks directly at the sun for too long.