Cut From Steel

HE BEAT ALI WITH ONE GOOD EYE

Joe Frazier died 15 years ago today, on November 7, 2011. He was 67. Most men remember him for one left hook. I remember him for what he hid.

Frazier turned pro in 1965. Later that year, a training accident left him legally blind in his left eye. He kept it to himself. At his pre-fight physicals, he read the eye chart with his right eye. When the doctor told him to cover the other eye, he switched hands and covered the left eye again. The commission doctors did not seem to notice.

Frazier fought the biggest fights of his life that way. On March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden, he met Muhammad Ali. Both men were unbeaten. In the 15th round, Frazier landed a left hook that put Ali on the canvas. He won a unanimous decision and handed Ali the first loss of his career.

Frazier also had a cataract in that left eye by 1974. In other words, the heavyweight champion did his job with one working eye. His right eye covered for the left one every single day.

You do not have a commission doctor to fool. Your better eye can do the fooling on its own. Today’s letter is about a disease that hides behind the stronger eye until you check each eye alone.

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THE DOOR FRAME THAT BENT

You are standing in the kitchen doorway with your morning coffee. The edge of the door frame has a soft bend in it, like a ripple in water. You blink, and the bend is still there. Then you look with both eyes again, and the frame snaps back to straight.

I would have called that tired eyes. Plenty of men would do the same. You may not get a clearer warning than that bend.

I want you to take it seriously. Straight lines that look wavy are one of the classic early signs of macular degeneration. Your stronger eye is very good at hiding it. You probably read an eye chart at your last checkup. That chart measures sharpness. The National Eye Institute says early macular degeneration usually causes no symptoms, so the chart can look fine. A dilated eye exam lets your doctor see the macula itself.

IT'S NOT TIRED EYES. IT'S YOUR MACULA.

You read faces, signs, and print with a tiny patch at the back of each eye called the macula. Macular degeneration slowly damages it. Three facts explain why you should check it.

01 / It is common after 40

CDC researchers estimate that about 19.8 million Americans aged 40 and older had some form of macular degeneration in 2019. That works out to about 1 in 8. Most had the early form, which may not cause clear symptoms. The American Academy of Ophthalmology calls it a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 and older.

02 / Your good eye covers for it

BrightFocus Foundation, a research charity, explains that with both eyes open, the stronger eye can make up for the weaker one. So damage in one eye can grow while daily life looks normal. You only see the problem when you cover the good eye. In other words, two open eyes can hide one failing eye.

03 / The wet form moves fast

Mayo Clinic says the wet form usually starts suddenly and gets worse quickly. Fragile new blood vessels grow under the macula and leak. MedlinePlus notes that wet macular degeneration affects a minority of people with the disease, yet it causes most of the vision loss. Cleveland Clinic says early detection and treatment can stop further damage, often with eye injections that block new vessel growth.

COVER ONE EYE AND LOOK

You can run a simple check at home. The American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests an Amsler grid, a small square of straight lines with a dot in the middle. Hold it 12 to 15 inches away in good light, with your reading glasses on. Cover one eye and stare at the dot. Then switch eyes.

You are looking for lines that bend, blur, go dark, or disappear. If you see any of that, the Academy says to call your ophthalmologist right away. You should not wait for the next routine visit.

I would also book a dilated eye exam if you have not had one in a while. Your eye doctor can spot early changes before you notice anything. Ask whether your family history raises your risk. Mayo Clinic says smoking greatly increases the risk of this disease, so quitting protects your eyes too.

One last thing. Cover the good eye once a day. Let the other one tell you the truth.

— Travis

Insider Member's Corner

6 free habits that keep the center of your vision sharp:

You earned a sharp view. Point it at something worth seeing.

01 / Optics · Swarovski EL binoculars

Swarovski Optik makes the EL binoculars in Austria, and many serious birders treat them as the standard. The 8.5x42 model sells for over $2,000. You buy a pair like this once and hand it down. Take them up a ridge at sunrise and look at something far away for a change.

02 / Style · Oliver Peoples Gregory Peck frames

Oliver Peoples made these round frames with the Peck estate. They are modeled on the glasses Gregory Peck wore as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Get them fitted with your real prescription. A good frame on a man past 50 says he still reads, and reads well.

03 / Drink · The Rob Roy

A bartender at the Waldorf Astoria created the Rob Roy in 1894, named after a new operetta. Think of it as a Manhattan made with Scotch instead of rye. Stir Scotch, sweet vermouth, and a dash of Angostura bitters over ice. Strain it into a chilled glass and take your time with one.