Your eyes can show signs of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions.
Your eyes are the window to your health.
When PeaceHealth optometrists examine your eyes, they are looking at much more than your ability to read the bottom line of the eye chart.
They are also taking note of clues about your overall health.
Conditions not related to vision
Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, or an autoimmune disease like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis can show up in the eyes, said David Nadeau, OD, a PeaceHealth optometrist in Eugene, Oregon.
How? The backs of the eyes contain visible blood vessels and nerves that connect to the brain and heart. Some conditions, such as diabetes and high-blood pressure, can cause damage to blood vessels in the eye.
Another example is blood specks in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. That’s a common sign of uncontrolled diabetes — the leading cause of blindness in adults.
Dr. Nadeau points out that the retina is the only place in the entire body where living blood vessels can be viewed without cutting into the body. “During an eye exam, I can see that damage in the retina,” he said.
In some cases, eye doctors may notice signs that a patient’s condition is getting worse. At other times, they might even uncover conditions that patients didn’t know they had.
Conditions such as diabetes, high-blood pressure, thyroid disease and others can show up in the eyes.
“This is why an eye health summary is vital information for doctors monitoring patients’ cardiovascular health,” he said. A yearly eye exam is an important way of monitoring these and other conditions.
Of course, regular eye exams focus especially on testing the health of your vision. And even if you don’t have any current problems with your sight, you should still get regular eye exams, said Dr. Nadeau.
Vision-related conditions
Many eye-related conditions can develop without symptoms. This is especially true in people who are over 50. Issues like the following often start as people get older:
- Cataracts, a natural clouding of the lens behind the pupil, can make things look cloudy or blurry. This often makes it harder to see at night.
- Glaucoma leads to increasing damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye. It shows no symptoms and can result in permanent vision loss.
- Macular degeneration affects a person’s central, detail-oriented vision. Early symptoms can include sensitivity to light, blurred vision and difficulty adjusting from bright to dim light.
“When caught early, many eye conditions can be treated. The sooner we can detect a problem, the more we can do to prevent or slow vision loss,” he said.
As part of the comprehensive healthcare team at PeaceHealth, eye doctors work closely with primary care providers and other specialists to provide the best care possible.
Is it time to see your eye doctor? Your exam might show more about your health than you expect.
FAQs
A comprehensive eye exam is more than just about vision; it can also provide information about a person's overall health. A thorough examination of the lens, retina, and optic nerve can reveal several systemic disorders, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, sometimes before other symptoms appear.
Can you tell health from your eyes? ›
Ophthalmologists may be able to detect early signs of heart disease in the eyes. When the retina is examined carefully using an imaging tool called optical coherence tomography, doctors may be able to detect microscopic marks left behind by an eye stroke.
What illnesses can be seen in the eyes? ›
What are the most common eye diseases?
- Cataracts.
- Refractive errors like astigmatism, farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia), and age-related loss of up-close focusing (presbyopia).
- Glaucoma.
- Age-related macular degeneration.
- Diabetes-related retinopathy.
Eye exams not only help keep your vision sharp. They can reveal serious health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. And of course, eye diseases like cataracts and glaucoma.
How to read your eyes for health? ›
Iridology is a holistic practice in which a person, called an iridologist, looks at a person's eyes and uses what they see to determine any physical ailments that may be present in the body. More specifically, the practitioner looks at the iris (the colored part of the eye) for any abnormalities in pigmentation.
What are your eyes trying to tell you? ›
Eyes aren't just the window to your soul — they also offer a glimpse into your health. Changes in your eyes can signal vision problems, diabetes, stress, even retinal detachment. What's more, most of these you can actually see for yourself — assuming you know what to look for.
What can you tell from a person's eyes? ›
Apart from emotions, personality and health, our eyes can also reveal our level of engagement and interest. When we are genuinely interested in something or someone, our eyes tend to focus intently, and our pupils may dilate. On the other hand, when we are disinterested or distracted, our eyes may wander or lose focus.
What health problems can an eye test detect? ›
8 Health Problems That Can Be Detected Through an Eye Exam
- High blood pressure. ...
- Heart disease. ...
- Diabetes. ...
- Rheumatoid arthritis. ...
- Thyroid disorder. ...
- Parkinson's disease. ...
- Cancer. ...
- Multiple sclerosis.
A yellowish tint in whites of the eyes may be an indication of liver disease.
What are doctors looking for when they look in your eyes? ›
The observation of that nerve is a crucial part of a comprehensive eye examination. By examining your eyes in this way, your eye doctor can often detect conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arterial plaque, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, stroke, leukemia and many other conditions.
You Should Not Have a Gray Ring Around Your Cornea
Having a gray ring around your eyes might indicate that your eyes are unhealthy. Eye doctors call it senilis. The condition often goes together with high triglycerides and cholesterol. These health conditions can increase your risk for stroke and heart disease.
What does the white of your eyes say about your health? ›
In humans, clear, white sclera may join such traits as smooth skin and long, lustrous hair as signs of health, beauty, and reproductive fitness. The evolution of a white sclera may have contributed to the emergence of humans as a social species.
Can eyes show illness? ›
Regularly receiving a comprehensive eye exam is one of the most effective ways to detect—and start treating—a range of health problems. The eyes provide a window to the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue in a patient's body. Conditions observed in the eyes often signal larger health issues.
How can I check my eye health at home? ›
Check each eye separately, first the right and then the left. Keep both eyes open and cover one eye with the palm of the hand. Read the chart, beginning with the top line and moving down the lines until it is too difficult to read the letters. Record the number of the smallest line that you know you read correctly.
Which eye color is good for health? ›
Studies show that in a loud environment, brown-eyed people have less hearing loss than people whose eyes have a blue hue. It's believed to be because brown-eyed folks have more melanin (the pigment that gives your skin, hair, and eyes their color) in their eyes and ears.
How do you check if my eyes are healthy? ›
Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam
Even if your eyes feel healthy, you could have a problem and not know it. That's because many eye diseases don't have any symptoms or warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to check for many eye diseases early on, when they're easier to treat.
How do you know if your eyes are unhealthy? ›
Blurred or distorted vision is a common symptom of a variety of eye conditions. If you notice sudden, significant changes to your vision, you should visit your optometrist as soon as possible. Common eye conditions that may cause blurred or distorted vision include: Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Is it true that our immune system finds your eyes? ›
Today we know that the immune system perceives antigens placed into the eye, but it is an active engagement with the ocular microenvironment that regulates and controls immune cells within the eye, and systemically to the intraocular antigens.
Can your eyes affect your health? ›
The arrangement of blood vessels at the back of the eye, known as the retina vasculature, is closely connected to the health of your heart. That means issues we see in the eye can be directly linked to health problems with the heart and the vessels in your body.
