12 Ways Your Eye Health Can Reflect Your Overall Health
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Highlights
- Regular eye exams can detect underlying health conditions early, such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
- Sudden vision changes or eye pain require immediate evaluation to rule out serious underlying conditions.
- Get an assessment for gradual or mild eye symptoms to prevent complications and protect your eye health.
- Monitor your eye health through routine exams to maintain overall health and well-being.
Did you know your eyes can reveal important insights about your overall health? Often, we overlook our eye health until vision problems arise. However, regular eye exams can detect underlying health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and endocrine disorders.
Routine eye exams can catch early indicators of these health issues.
Discover 12 ways your eye health reflects your overall well-being, keeping you informed and proactive about your health.
1. Headaches with Vision Changes
If you experience a sudden headache accompanied by vision changes such as blurred vision, blind spots, flashing lights, or temporary vision loss, it could signal a serious condition. Potential causes include migraines with aura, ocular migraines, stroke, increased intracranial pressure, or giant cell arteritis. Seek prompt medical attention to rule out potentially serious causes for these eye symptoms.
2. Sudden Blurry or Distorted Vision
Sudden blurry or distorted vision, particularly in one eye, can signal a medical emergency. Watch for additional symptoms such as eye pain, flashes of light, dark floating spots, or loss of peripheral vision. Get immediate medical attention to identify or exclude conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or retinal detachment.
Eye health and blood pressure are closely connected; blurred vision can be a sign of hypertensive retinopathy. Your eye doctor may refer you to a cardiologist or primary care physician to check your blood pressure and manage underlying hypertension.
3. Double Vision (Diplopia)
Double vision, or diplopia, involves seeing two images of a single object and can affect one or both eyes. Binocular diplopia, which is more serious, may result from eye misalignment, nerve or muscle problems, or brain issues. If the onset is sudden and accompanied by other neurological symptoms, get an emergency medical evaluation. A doctor can identify and address the underlying cause so you get proper care and treatment.
4. Sensitivity to Light
New, painful, or worsening sensitivity to light may indicate serious eye inflammation, such as iritis, or an underlying condition, like photophobia due to meningitis. Schedule an urgent eye exam, particularly if the sensitivity is severe or accompanied by vision changes or eye pain. Your optometrist can perform a comprehensive examination and help you start on eye drops or antibiotics based on your condition.
5. Seeing Floaters and Flashes
A sudden increase in floaters and flashes could signal a retinal tear or detachment. These conditions occur when the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, becomes detached from its normal position. If you notice these vision symptoms, contact an eye doctor immediately. Without prompt treatment, this detachment can result in severe vision impairment or permanent vision loss. Act quickly to prevent further damage and preserve your sight.
6. Red, Irritated, or Swollen Eyes
When accompanied by pain, vision changes, or excessive discharge, red, irritated, or swollen eyes may indicate a serious infection or inflammation, such as conjunctivitis (pink eye) or keratitis (corneal inflammation). If symptoms are severe or persist for more than a couple of days, visit your eye doctor. They can perform testing to identify your infection and prescribe medication to restore your eye health.
7. Bulging Eyes
Bulging eyes, or proptosis, can be a sign of conditions such as Graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism) or orbital tumors. Book an eye exam if you notice any unusual protrusion of one or both eyes. Your optometrist can assess the severity of the bulge, evaluate for associated symptoms like vision changes or discomfort, and refer you to a specialist for further diagnostic testing and treatment to address the underlying health issues.
8. Yellowing of the Eyes
Yellowing of the eyes, or jaundice, often indicates an underlying medical condition, such as liver disease. This symptom can happen if there is an excess of bilirubin in the blood and medical evaluation is required. If you notice a yellowish tinge in the whites of your eyes, visit your eye care provider, who can examine them and refer you to a hepatologist for treatment.
9. Difficulty Seeing at Night
Difficulty seeing at night, also known as night blindness, can signal an underlying vision or health issue. This symptom might result from conditions such as cataracts, vitamin A deficiency, or retinitis pigmentosa. If you experience difficulty seeing in low light or darkness, make an eye appointment to test your vision and receive appropriate treatment or symptom management.
10. Rings or Spots on the Cornea
Rings or spots on the cornea can have various causes. While some, like arcus senilis, are benign and often associated with aging, others, such as Kayser-Fleischer rings, may indicate an underlying disease like Wilson’s disease, a rare genetic disorder. Make an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as you notice any spots or rings in your vision. Your provider can use retinal imaging to assess whether corneal findings require further evaluation or treatment.
11. Dry, Gritty-Feeling Eyes
A dry, gritty feeling in the eyes is common and often relieved with artificial tears, warm compresses, and taking breaks from screens. However, severe or chronic cases might be due to an underlying condition like Sjogren’s syndrome. If you experience persistent dryness and discomfort, visit your eye care clinic. The optometrist can perform a tear film analysis or Schirmer’s test to determine the cause and recommend treatments.
12. Fluctuating Vision
Fluctuating vision refers to changes in clarity, where your vision shifts from clear to blurry at different times. Diabetes and vision issues are often linked because fluctuating blood sugar levels affect the eye’s ability to maintain a consistent focus. If you experience fluctuating vision, visit your eye doctor. They may use smart contacts to monitor your glucose levels and connect you with an endocrinologist to address and manage diabetes symptoms.
Schedule Regular Eye Exams for Optimal Health
If you experience sudden vision changes, eye pain, or worsening symptoms, see an eye doctor immediately to rule out serious conditions. Even mild or gradual symptoms should be assessed to prevent potential complications.
Schedule routine eye exams to maintain your eye health and catch problems early. Take control of your eye health — book your eye exam today for clear vision and better overall well-being.