For months now, every time we turn on the television, radio or computer, we are flooded with political news. During this election season, with presidents on my mind, I decided to research eye conditions our previous presidents have had.
Amazingly enough, I was able to find information on presidents way back in the days of our Founding Fathers, when information and medical science was not what it is today. Here are a few I thought interesting.
- Zachary Taylor, our 12th President, suffered from Diplopia (Double Vision).
- James Buchanan and Woodrow Wilson, our 15th and 28th Presidents respectively, suffered from eye twitches.
- Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, was color blind and had Strabismus (an eye muscle disorder that results in an eye turn). Also it is believed he also had Marfan’s Syndrome which can cause medical problems with the eyes.
- Theodore(Teddy) Roosevelt, our 26th President, was myopic (nearsighted) and was blind in one eye from a Retinal Detachment.
- George H.W. Bush, our 43rd president and the only one on this list still living, has Glaucoma, which can result in loss of vision.
Presidents are human too!!
Written by Bart W., Technician with Milwaukee Eye Care
