5. Thyroid disorder
Protruding eyeballs and retracting lids (that's when the upper or lower eyelid margins are drawn back from the normal position) are signs of an overactive thyroid gland, or hyperthyroidism. “It sometimes appears with dry eye, because the lids can't cover the surface of the eye as well,” says Angela Elam, a clinical assistant professor in ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan. An eye doctor can use an exophthalmometer to measure how far the eyeball protrudes.
6. Parkinson's disease
Currently, there is no conclusive test doctors can use to identify Parkinson's disease. The diagnosis is based on symptoms and a neurological and physical exam. Not surprisingly, it's misdiagnosed up to 30 percent of the time, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That may change. RightEye, which received FDA clearance in 2018, tracks eye movement measurements (as a patient stares at a screen and follows prompts) to help evaluate for Parkinson's. Studies have shown that people who suffer from Parkinson's disease generally have ocular tremors, usually in the very early stages before other symptoms are noted. By using eye-tracking technology to identify ocular tremors, the RightEye Vision System can help to diagnose Parkinson's for earlier intervention.
7. Cancer
“The eyelid is one of the most common places to get skin cancer from sun exposure,” says Elam. The lower lid is the most likely spot. More rarely, melanoma can be detected inside the eye --— for example, near the iris or the muscle fibers that surround the lens — where it can be seen with a microscope.
8. Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which your body’s overactive immune system malfunctions and mistakenly attacks and damages healthy nerve fibers in the central nervous system. “When inflammation occurs, usually people have symptoms based on the place in the nervous system that the inflammation is happening,” says Eugene May, a Seattle-based neuro-ophthalmologist and National MS Society Partner in MS Care. “And one of the places that is most susceptible to this type of autoimmune reaction is the optic nerve.”
During a routine eye exam, an eye doctor can peer into the back of the eye and see the retina, as well as the optic nerve — that bundle of nerve fibers that send visual messages from the eye to the brain. When the optic nerve is healthy, the nerve fibers and blood vessels are visible, May says. But if the optic nerve is pale and has lost its color, it can indicate damage. “If you have damage to the optic nerve from MS, you get optic neuritis, which is an inflammation of the optic nerve,” says Anil D. Patel, clinical professor of ophthalmology at the Dean McGee Eye Institute(DMEI) in Oklahoma City and a neuro-ophthalmology specialist. “Patients can present with a fairly sudden onset of vision loss in one or both eyes, and there’s often pain with movement of the eye.”
Another thing that could point to a neurological problem during an exam: eye-movement abnormality. Frequently, people with MS may experience rapid and spontaneous movement of the eyes (nystagmus). Some may also have double vision (diplopia) from damage to the nerves that control the muscles in the eyes, causing them to become misaligned and vision to become off-kilter. “You see two distinct images of the same thing, either separated horizontally, vertically or oblique,” Patel says.Early detection is important, allowing for prompter treatment and symptom management.
Barbara Stepko is a longtime health and lifestyle writer, and former editor atWomen’s HealthandInStyle. Her work has appeared inThe Wall Street Journal, Paradeand other national magazines.
