Add ophthalmology to the growing list of health specialties where natural approaches are gaining popularity. At EnVision Health, in Lenox Hill, board-certified ophthalmologist Rudrani Banik, M.D., specializes in an integrative and functional medicine approach to eye health. 

“I believe that vision loss from common conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, and cataracts can be prevented naturally, without the use of drugs or surgeries,” she says. “I help people prevent blindness by using eye-smart nutrition, botanicals, supplements, and lifestyle choices.”

Banik says the pandemic has resulted in a secondary, lifestyle-related epidemic: digital eye strain.

“We are all dependent on our screens, and along with increased screen time—American adults averaged more than 11 hours a day prior to the pandemic, and it must be much higher now—we all are at risk for symptoms of digital eye strain, like blurred vision, dry eye, redness, eye fatigue, light sensitivity, and headaches,” she says. “We need to safeguard our eyes from the epidemic of digital eye strain.”

As part of her natural approach, Banik teaches her patients strategies to decrease digital eye strain and support their natural abilities to block blue light.

“Our internal blue blockers are natural pigments in the retina that protect our eyes from oxidative stress,” she says. “We can get these nutrients through select foods, but supplementation is also key, both for adults and children, especially given our current levels of exposure.”

Location: 950 Fifth Ave., New York, NY. For appointments and information, call 646-820-2074, email [email protected] or visit RudraniBanikMD.com.