Your Eyes: A Window To Your Soul?

Well maybe not to your soul, but to your Optometrist your eyes can be a window into your overall health. Many diseases can affect your vision and often show early signs in the eyes. During your eye examination your optometrist may detect signs of:

High Blood Pressure: Untreated systemic hypertension can cause damage to the blood vessels of the retina (the back of the eye).

High Cholesterol: High cholesterol can be seen as a white ring around the outside edge of your cornea (clear window at the front of your eye). Usually it requires a special microscope to be detected but occasionally it can be seen with the naked eye. Cholesterol can also be seen as yellowish deposits under the skin of the eyelids or around the eye.

Diabetes: High blood sugar can cause fluctuations in vision and can cause your spectacle prescription to change; this can occasionally lead to the first diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes can also cause swelling of the retina, abnormal growth of new blood vessels and bleeding inside the eye.

Stroke: Pieces of cholesterol and other matter can get lodged in the vessels of the retina; if this is seen in your eye this can point to a risk of stroke.

Multiple Sclerosis: Double vision, visual field loss, change in color vision and an irregular optic nerve can be early signs of MS.

Brain Tumor: Headaches and visual field loss can be signs of a brain tumor.

Grave's Disease: Eye lid swelling, restricted eye movement and double vision can be signs of this thyroid condition; which is most often seen in women and characterized by protruding eyes.

The eye is made up of many different tissues, which makes it susceptible to a variety of diseases. An eye examination does not replace a medical exam by your family Doctor, but it can give us a glimpse into your overall health. In addition to ruling out eye disease, this is another important reason to have regular eye exams - even if you have perfect vision!