Your eyes are the windows to your health. These can reveal quite a lot about overall health conditions like cholesterol, liver disease, or diabetes.
As per the researchers, the eyes are truly unique. They’re the only place in the body where one can have a look in and see veins, arteries, and a nerve (the optic nerve) without any surgery. And the disease in the eyes may probably resemble the same in the rest of the body.
Looking into the eyes not only indicate eye disorders, including cataracts and glaucoma, but also serious issues like diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Sometimes the signs of these conditions are visible long before the symptoms appear.
It is recommended that everyone should have an eye exam by age 40. Especially, people who have a family history of eye problems should be seen earlier, and anyone who is having eye trouble should see a doctor right away. Moreover, people should not wait until they experience symptoms to see a doctor because many eye problems are silent.
Numerous eye conditions can only be viewed by a professional during an eye exam, whereas others are plain for all to see. Below are various eye signs that might be saying about your health:
- Bloody eye- Conjunctiva is the eye’s transparent outer layer that is nourished by numerous tiny blood vessels and if these bursts, blood may pool on the white of the eye. This condition is known as subconjunctival haemorrhage among doctors and can be caused by a blow to the eye but in most cases has no apparent reason. Moreover, on rare occasions, a subconjunctival haemorrhage can be a sign of severe high blood pressure or a platelet disorder.
- Droopy eyelid- This condition is a simple sign of ageing. But in rare instances, it is the evidence of a brain tumour or a neuromuscular disease. It is an autoimmune disorder that weakens the muscles throughout the body
- Gray around the cornea– Apart from hair, grey color may also appear around the edge of the cornea. According to medical science, this condition is called arcus senilis that often goes hand in hand with high cholesterol and triglycerides. So, anyone who has the same should have a blood test to check for elevated blood lipids.
- Yellow eyes- When there is a buildup of bilirubin, a compound created by the breakdown of hemoglobin, then eyes appear to be yellow. The medical term for this condition is Scleral Icterus. This condition also depicts the diseases of the liver, including hepatitis and cirrhosis.
- Pupil abnormalities- Healthy people usually have their pupils symmetrical and are also usually of the same size. They show the same reaction upon exposure to light. In case, a pupil is bigger than the other, or one pupil shrinks less on exposure to light. There could be an underlying medical problem, including brain or optic nerve tumor, brain aneurysm, stroke, syphilis, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
- Bulging eyes- This eye condition may be the evidence of a thyroid disease because thyroid hormone causes the tissues surrounding the eye to swell.
- Diabetes– When you are on a visit to your eye doctor, and if he/she notices leaky blood vessels in the eye, the condition could be an immediate signal that may have diabetes. This state causes significant damage to vision over time, so it would be a relief when we can catch this condition during an eye exam. Early detection aware about managing the disease early and hopefully saves or preserves someone’s sight later in life. In case diabetes isn’t detected early it can damage small blood vessels in the brain and kidneys too.
- Metastatic cancer– Ophthalmologists sometimes detect cancer that arises elsewhere in the body shows up their first signs in the eyes. There are two most common cancers that spread to the eye, these are lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women.
- Retinal defects- Numerous medical conditions including diabetes and high blood pressure can damage the blood vessels and nerves in the retina. This can cause blindness and can also take several forms, including tiny hemorrhages, leaks of yellowish fluid and puffy looking whitish patches. These white spots on the retina may be the sign of AIDS.
Conclusion:
Eyes are pearls for everyone, and your eyesight is one of the most precious senses that anyone can have. It is a gift from the God, and we shouldn’t take them for granted. So, get up and visit your doctor at first if you notice any uncommon signs.
