5 Major Health Problems That Eye Exams Can Detect

Routine eye exams have, over the years, become more than tests to measure your visual ability. The eyes are complex structures, and they can show if there is a hidden issue in your body. Just like oral health is linked to overall body health, eye health is connected with the body's health.

It is safe to say that the eyes are the windows into the body. An eye doctor can tell much about the body by closely examining the retina, lens, and optic nerve. Systemic disorders that take time to present symptoms in the body can be detected through the eyes. 

So, which major health problems can an eye doctor detect through your eyes? Read on to learn more.

• Hypertension

One major health problem presenting symptoms in the eyes is hypertension. Hypertension is sometimes called a silent killer because it develops gradually and silently. Most people usually do not know they have it until it has done much damage to the body. 

Hypertension destroys blood vessels in the body, all of which are necessary for critical functions. The first blood vessels to suffer from this destruction are the tiny ones. The eye is full of such small blood vessels. They help feed all the ocular structures. 

If you have hypertension, the blood vessels in the eye will begin to rupture, causing bleeding. The blood vessels in the eye can leak from sneezing too hard or coughing. However, hypertension causes more leaking. Also, hypertension may cause blood vessels to stiffen in the retina. The stiff blood vessels may cause the eye to bulge.

• Heart Disease

The health of your eyes is directly linked to the health of your heart. A comprehensive eye exam can detect many cardiovascular diseases before presenting symptoms. The blood vessels in the eye can collect plaque that may break away from the carotid artery. If the plaque reaches the brain, it can cause a stroke. 

Another condition that the eyes can help diagnose is ischemia. Ischemia is decreased blood flow due to heart disease. The retina in the eye does not regenerate once its cells die. When there is insufficient blood supply, the cells die and are visible in an eye exam. 

• Diabetes

Diabetes is a sneaky disease because it does not show any symptoms in the early stages. Usually, it does not affect vision, but through an eye test, an eye doctor can detect the signs of diabetes in the eye. According to a survey in 2017, 400,000 patients discovered they had diabetic retinopathy even though they had no symptoms of diabetes.

As with heart disease, diabetes affects the blood vessels in the retina. It causes minor aneurysms, swollen blood vessels, and dilated capillaries.

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Although rheumatoid arthritis is a joint disease, it can also affect the eyes. It can cause dry eyes to develop in a patient who has always had good tear production. It can also affect the sclera, causing inflammation. The sclera comprises collagen, which is usually affected by inflammatory conditions. 

• Thyroid Disorder

An overactive thyroid gland can cause the eyes to protrude and the eyelids to retract. These symptoms often accompany dry eye because the eyelids cannot lubricate the eyes properly. The eye doctor can measure how much the eye protrudes using a special device.

For more on significant health problems that eye exams can detect, call Ocean Park Optometry at (310) 452-1039 to reach our office in Santa Monica, California.