Dr. Nishan Pressley, OD, is an optometrist advancing eye health in the Black community. During her optometry training, she was the first and only Black woman in the optometry program. Years later, the lack of Black representation...
Latest Posts
Are Blacks More Prone to Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is often called the “thief of sight,” and a leading cause of permanent blindness among Black Americans. Like a thief at night, glaucoma tiptoes slowly and progresses silently until vision is lost. Blacks in the US are...
Digital Eye Strain and Screen Use in Black Families
In my line of work, I spend 10 or more hours each day staring at a computer screen, working to translate complex topics into a language that is clear and useful for my readers. This level of screen time has become part of the...
Silent Eye Diseases: Exams Save Sight
Many serious eye conditions develop silently, showing no warning signs until significant damage has occurred. Nearly one in five Black adults has an eye disease they don’t know about, yet most will not notice it until vision loss...
Deadly Heart Myths in Black Communities
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for Black Americans, yet misconceptions about risk, prevention, and symptoms persist. These myths can delay care, discourage healthy habits, and limit awareness of early warning...
Effects of Social Media Stress on Teens
When it comes to fighting for heart health, Black Americans have been at the forefront. As early as 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the world’s first successful heart surgery. Since then, Black physicians...
Black Women’s Silent Heart Crisis
For decades, heart disease has been viewed as a man’s problem—one of the many dangerous misconceptions in the Black community. An even more harmful belief is that heart disease only appears later in life. These myths have...
Energy Drinks, Vaping, and Teen Heart
In the United States, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death, and we know that the roots of this risk often take hold far earlier than adulthood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
Heart Attack and Stroke Signs in Black Adults
Heart attack and stroke are two separate diseases that are closely related. They often share the same underlying risk factors, causes, and mechanisms, such as plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) and blood clots. Experiencing one...
Black Hair and Heart Health
As we recognize American Heart Month this February, the medical community and public health advocates are sharpening their focus on a staggering reality. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death for Black...