The eyes are more than windows to
your soul- they are also a good place to look for signs of trouble brewing in
your body.
Even if you can boast 20/20 you should pay
a visit to an eye-care specialist: “The eyes are one place in the body through
which we can actually see veins and arteries firsthand, with no surgery or
cameras,”says Shantan Reddy, M. D., an ophthalmologist and retinal specialist
at New York University Langone Medical Center. That’s why an eye doctor may be
the first to detect a serious health problem such as diabetes or high blood
pressure. One example: Sixty-five percent of the time, eye doctors can spot
signs of a patient’s high cholesterol before any other health-care provider
can(the condition shows up as yellowish plaques within the retinal blood
vessel). Behold, surprising heath cues your eyes give away.
EYE
CUE
Silver-or
copper-colored arteries
RED
FLAG FOR…
High
blood pressure
More than 20 percent of people with high
blood pressure don’t know they have it- a problem that could be solved if
everyone visited their eye doctor more often. “we can see hypertension through
the eyes because it gives retinal arteries as silver or copper hue that we call
copper wiring,” says Reddy. If left untreated, the condition can cause blood
vessels in the retina and throughout the body to harden, increasing the risk
for heart attack or stroke.
EYE CUE
A mole on the eye’s inner layer
RED FLAG FOR…
Melanoma
Sunlight can wreak havoc on more
than your
skin-it may increase the risk of developing cancer inside the eyeball.
“The
cancer can look like little raised surfaces or moles in the pigment
layer of
the retina,”says ophthalmologist Sophie J. Bakri, M.D., of the Mayo
Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Diagnosing an eye melanoma early is
crucial, she says; it often has
no other symptoms and can quickly metastasize to surrounding tissues.
EYE
CUE
Leaky
blood vessels
RED
FLAG FOR…
Diabetes
High blood sugar can clog or damage retinal
blood vessels over time, rendering them weak and porous. Eyes doctors can often
spot the seepage or the new, abnormal blood vessels that sprout up to replace
faulty ones. Indeed, diabetes takes a big toll on the eyes in general and can
lead to blindness in serious cases.
EYE CUE
Inflammation
RED FLAG FOR…
Autoimmune disease
Autoimmune conditions can cause the body to
attack healthy cells and tissues(including those within the eyes), leading to
inflammation.”If we see inflammation inside the eye, 30 to 50 percent of the
time that patient will have some sort of undiagnosed autoimmune disease, like
lupus or rheumatoid arthritis,”says Bakri. Another related symptom? Severely
dry eyes, the result of compromised tear glands.
EYE CUE
Interior blisters
RED FLAG FOR…
CSR
It sounds gross, but you can get blisters inside
your eyeballs. The conditions called central serous retinopathy (CSR), it
typically caused by excessive metal or emotional stress, which can tax the body
so much that the retina starts to leak blister-forming fluid. “Eye doctors used
to know CSR as a disease of stressed men with type-A personalities, but
increasing number of woman are being diagnosed,” says Bakri. The most common
symptom is that patients may also have blurry vision or see wavy lines when
trying to focus on a set point. In many cases CSR can be alleviated by lashing
stress levels; but if not, patients may be helped by laser treatment.
EYE CUE
Swollen blood vessels on the white
portion of the eye
RED FLAG FOR…
Allergies
Airborne allergens such as pollen, dust,
and animal dander often affect the eyes. As a protective mechanism, your
peepers secrete anti-inflammatory histamines and other natural chemicals but
not without side effects. The process can lead to swollen ocular surface blood
vessels and red, itchy, watery eye visible to you, your eye doctor, and
everyone else. For a proper diagnosis, though, do see an M.D.
