There is a saying that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and this is certainly very true, but for health reasons, they are also a window into your whole physical well-being. Did you know that an optometrist may discover a number of health issues that are still in the early stages and cannot be detected by other standard tests during a normal comprehensive eye exam?
Because of the sensitive structures of the eyes, such as the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues, many serious health problems can be detected early on because of their presence. This is crucial for patients since identifying illnesses early is frequently the key to averting serious consequences. As part of your yearly eye exam, the optometrist will thoroughly check your eyes to look for any tell-tale indications of illness that may affect other parts of your body as well.
The following are just some health problems that an optometrist might identify during a complete eye exam:
High blood pressure
This potentially life-threatening disease is typically detected by patients due to abnormalities in their eye’s blood vessels. Elevated blood pressure causes particular changes in the eye’s blood vessels and leaks at the back of the eye, which indicate to your optometrist that you may have high blood pressure. Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and other eye problems including glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy by controlling your blood pressure.
Diabetes
Diabetes can be detected in the small blood capillaries supplying your retina even before other symptoms have led to an official diagnosis. During a dilated examination, your optometrist can spot leaks in these blood vessels that let blood into the retina.
Early identification allows blood sugar levels to be stabilized and vision loss and other major consequences of the condition to be avoided. More than 400,000 patients with diabetic retinopathy were discovered by optometrists in 2017 even though they had not yet been diagnosed with the disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms include red eyes, intense discomfort, and/or swollen joints. When you have scleritis, you will have discomfort and redness in the sclera, the white area of your eye, due to the scleritis. Most RA patients have dry eyes as well, and they range in age from 40 to 70.
Cancer
A thorough eye exam can identify many forms of cancer in a patient. The most prevalent types of skin cancer, squamous cell, basal cell, and melanoma can develop on the eyelids or on the eye’s outer surface.
Aside from that, cancers like lymphoma or leukaemia might affect the eye’s internal structure. Cancers of the breast and other organs can metastasise and spread to the eye and its supporting systems.
Tumours
Your optometrist can notice the effects of a brain tumour’s enlargement and increased pressure at the back of your eye. Your eye doctor may be able to detect pressure on the optic nerve as well. If you’re a patient, you may experience double vision, blurred vision, or dilated pupils on one side of your face.
Comprehensive eye exams can certainly detect disease early since many potentially life-threatening conditions show early symptoms in the structures of the eye. As a result, you will be more equipped to deal with any problems that arise in the future. Your optometrist is concerned not just with the health of your eyes, but also with the overall condition of your body.
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