10 things your eyes say about your health

Looking someone in the eye may or may not reveal their honesty, but the things your eyes say about your health can inform problems such as cholesterol , liver disease or diabetes , if you know what to look for.

” The eye is a unique window to health, ” says ophthalmologist Andrés Iwach, spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the executive director of the San Francisco Glaucoma Center. “ It is the only place in the body where, without surgery, you can look and see veins, arteries, and a nerve (the optic nerve). 

The transparency of the eyes “explains why common eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration can be detected early with regular eye exams.

Pay attention to the following signs that your eyes can give you. The following signs do not emphatically indicate a health problem, but rather a possibility of it. It is recommended to read with criteria.

1. The disappearance of the eyebrows

when the outer third of the eyebrows (the part closest to the ears) begins to disappear on its own, this is a common sign of thyroid disease – either hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) .

2. A stye that won’t go away

The vast majority of the time, a small reddish bump often along the edge of the inner or outer eyelid is just a nasty but harmless stye (also called a “chalazion”) and you can quickly cure the stye with certain home remedies. But if the spot doesn’t go away in three months, or it doesn’t seem to let it recur in the same place, it can also be a rare cancer (carcinoma of the sebaceous glands).

3. Yellowish spots on the eyelid

Eyelid xanthelasma, the medical name for these little yellow bumps, which are often a warning that you may have high cholesterol. They are also called “cholesterol skin” – they are basically fat deposits.

4. Burning eyes, blurred vision while using a computer

You may be a workaholic, and you definitely have “computer vision syndrome” (CVS). Eyestrain is caused in part by the lack of contrast on your computer screen (compared to ink on paper) and the work involved in focusing on the pixels in the light.

5. Increased grime in the eye

Blepharitis – inflammation of the eyelids, especially at the edges – can have several causes. Two of them, surprisingly, are better conditions associated with other parts of the body: the scalp, dandruff, and acne rosacea (which causes red skin flushing, usually in fair-skinned, middle-aged female faces)

6. A small blind spot in your vision, with bright lights, or a wavy line

An ocular migraine (also known as “ophthalmic migraine,” “optic migraine,” or “migraine aura”) produces this vision disturbance, with or without accompanying headache. Changes in blood flow to the brain are believed to be the cause.

7. Red, itchy eyes

When the eyes are affected, the trigger is usually the air, as well as pollen, dust or animal dander.

8. The whites of the eyes turned yellow

Yellow in the white part of the eye (the sclera) is caused by a build-up of bilirubin, the byproduct of old red blood cells that the liver cannot process.

9. Eyes that seem to bulge

The most common cause of bulging eyes is hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland), especially in the form known as Graves’ disease.

10. Dry eyes or sensitivity to light

It may be related to Sjögren’s syndrome, which is a disorder of the immune system. It affects the glands in the eyes and mouth that keep them moist.

By Dr. Eric Jackson

Dr. Eric Jackson provides primary Internal Medicine care for men and women and treats patients with bone and mineral diseases, diabetes, heart conditions, and other chronic illnesses.He is a Washington University Bone Health Program physician and is a certified Bone Densitometrist. Dr. Avery is consistently recognized in "The Best Doctors in America" list.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *