An eye exam gives insight into other parts of the body too. Here are 10 underlying health conditions an eye exam can uncover.
Aside from checking your vision and the health of the eye itself, a regular eye examination is also important as a wider wellbeing check. Just as the neck bone is connected to the head bone (according to the childhood rhyme), your eyes are joined to many other systems in your body. If something isn’t right, your eyes may be the first to show it.
The wider team at Southern Eye Specialists regularly assess a huge range of eye conditions as part of their everyday work. Sometimes the first hint that something is wrong with someone’s general health is when they arrive with certain issues.
Persistent blurred or double vision is often a sign of a problem, as is the discolouration of the sclera or iris. Often, painful eye movement will be an indication of pressure on the optic nerve, which can be caused by several different conditions.
When it comes to the eyes it’s best to be cautious. Any changes should be checked promptly. To ensure you don’t ignore any symptoms, here are ten conditions and diseases which have indications in the appearance and inner workings of the eye and in your quality of vision.
1. Diabetes
Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in New Zealand. This is caused by blood vessels becoming blocked or damaged, resulting in fluid or blood leaking in the retina. As these blood vessels heal, the scar tissue can affect vision, causing blurring and floaters as an early symptom, which progresses to severe vision loss if left untreated. Early detection and treatment of diabetes is important to avoid this.
Tiny blood vessels in the retina that leak yellow fluid or blood can be a sign of diabetic retinopathy. Sometimes, this disease appears in eye tissue even before a person has been diagnosed with diabetes. Early detection can help people avoid vision loss and other serious complications.
2. Brain tumour
A tumour increases pressure in the brain, which can cause swelling near the back of the eye, affecting the optic nerve. While this might not have any symptoms in the early stages, your ophthalmologist will be able to see these changes during an examination. In some cases, external symptoms will include a loss of peripheral vision, double vision or changes in pupil size.
3. High cholesterol
While relatively common, with around one in four New Zealand adults testing above recommended levels, high cholesterol is a leading cause of stroke. Early precursors to this life-threatening condition can be indicated by eye health. In those under the age of 40, a yellow or blue ring around the cornea can signal high cholesterol, and deposits in the blood vessels of the retina are another precursor. Again, regular ophthalmologist exams as well as health check-ups with your GP will help avoid this.
4. Multiple Sclerosis
This degenerative disease can start to make itself known at any age, but most commonly when a person is between the ages of 20 and 40. As it affects the nervous system, the disease can cause inflammation of the optic nerve, with symptoms that include blurred or double vision and painful eye movement. While there is no cure, there are some excellent treatments for MS, so catching attacks of the disease early can be helpful to reduce suffering.
5. Sexually transmitted infections
6. Vitamin A deficiency
7. High blood pressure
8. Thyroid disease
9. Heart disease
10. Blood, tissue, and skin cancers
Ophthalmologists use an imaging tool called Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), which enables them to see microscopic marks which can be left on the eye by stroke. These marks don’t always indicate a problem, but they are found in higher numbers in those with heart disease. Timely detection can prevent some serious consequences spanning from aneurysm to cardiac arrest.
There are also a host of other diseases and conditions that can show themselves in the eye, from Lyme disease to rheumatoid arthritis.
It’s important to remember that these symptoms don’t guarantee you have a certain health condition, so don’t jump straight into panic mode if you experience any of them. Not all eye pain or changes to the eye are serious, and stress will likely not help the situation!
Instead, stay up to date with your check-ups and, should you experience any unusual symptoms, book in for an examination as soon as you can.
Please note: Our free laser eye assessments are not full eye examinations. We use these tests to see if someone is suitable for laser eye surgery. If you have any concerns about your vision it’s important to book a full examination with your optometrist or ophthalmologist.
