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Some agree that eyes are the \u201cwindows to the soul\u201d, as the ancient proverb has it.\u00a0 Maybe, but they\u2019re also portals through which one can glimpse signs of health problems – not only eye disorders like cataracts and cardiovascular disease.\u00a0 Sometime the signs of these diseases are visible in, on, or around the eyes long before symptoms appear.<\/p>\n
In that they\u2019re the only place in the body where you can see a bare nerve, a bare artery, and a bare vein without doing any cutting, the eyes are truly unique.\u00a0 And the disease processes we see occurring in the eye are probably occurring in the rest of the body.<\/p>\n
The list of systemic diseases that can have ocular manifestation is a long one; in addition to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, it includes aneurysms, HIV, cancer, and rare hereditary diseases.\u00a0 The list is one reason eye experts recommend periodic eye exams.<\/p>\n
Most experts say everyone should have a comprehensive eye exam by age 40.\u00a0 They say people who have a family history of eye problems should be seen earlier, and anyone who is having eye trouble should see a doctor right away.\u00a0 But you shouldn\u2019t wait until you experience symptoms to see a doctor, because many eye problems are silent, meaning they cause no symptoms.<\/p>\n
Some ocular (eye) manifestation of systemic disease can be seen only by a trained specialist during the course of an eye exam.\u00a0 Others are plain for all to see.\u00a0 Here are ten (10) of the most common eye signs and what they might be saying about your health.<\/p>\n
THINGS ANYONE CAN SEE<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bloody eye:<\/strong> The eye\u2019s transparent outer layer, called the conjunctiva, is nourished by numerous tiny blood vessels.\u00a0 If these burst, blood may pool on the white of the eye (sclera).\u00a0 A sub-conjunctival hemorrhage, as it is known among doctors, can be caused by a blow to the eye but in most cases has no obvious cause.\u00a0 In rare cases, a sub-conjunctival hemorrhage can be a sign of severe high blood pressure or a platelet disorder, which can interfere with clotting.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bulging eyes:<\/strong> Prominent eyes may simply be a family trait, but they may be evidence of thyroid disease.\u00a0 Abnormal levels of thyroid hormone cause tissues surrounding the eye to swell, making it appear that the eye is bulging.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Droopy eyelid:<\/strong> This is known as ptosis among doctors, and can simply be a sign of aging.\u00a0 But in rare cases it is evidence of a brain tumor or a neuromuscular disease known as myasthenia gravis, which is an autoimmune disease that weakens muscles throughout the body.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pupil abnormalities:<\/strong> The pupils of healthy people are usually (but not always) symmetrical.\u00a0 They\u2019re usually of the same size, and they usually show the same reaction upon exposure to light.\u00a0 If one pupil is bigger than the other, or if one pupil shrinks less, or more slowly, on light exposure, there could be an underlying medical problem.\u00a0 Possibilities include stroke, brain or optic nerve tumor, brain aneurysm, syphilis, and multiple sclerosis. Finally, many medications, including illicit drugs, can cause the pupils to appear unusually small or large.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rings on the cornea:<\/strong> A rare hereditary disorder known as Wilson\u2019s disease can cause copper to accumulate in various tissues, including those in the brain and liver.\u00a0 Copper deposits sometimes form on the inner surface of the cornea (though they appear to a casual observer to be on the iris, the colored disk that surrounds the pupil).\u00a0 These \u201cKayser-Fleiscler rings\u201d are themselves harmless.\u00a0 But without treatment, Wilson\u2019s disease can be fatal.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thickened eyelid:<\/strong> In very rare cases, a thickening or deformation of the eyelid is a sign of neurofibromatosis (von Recklinghause\u2019s disease), a rare genetic disorder marked by the growth of tumors along nerve fibers (the tumors themselves are called plexiform neurofibromas).<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yellow eyes:<\/strong> Diseases of the liver, including hepatitis and cirrhosis, can turn the sclera yellow.\u00a0 The color is caused by the buildup of bilirubin, a compound created by the breakdown of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying molecule inside red blood cells.\u00a0 The medical term for yellow eyes is scleral icterus \u2013 even though it is not actually the scleras that turn yellow, but the conjunctiva.<\/p>\n THINGS AN EYE DOCTOR CAN SEE<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Arterial plagues:<\/strong> Atherosclerosis is the disease process that causes cholesterol plaques to form in arteries, including the carotid arteries in the neck and the coronary arteries.\u00a0 Bits of cholesterol (usually from the carotids) can break away from these plaques and travel via the bloodstream to the eye, where they lodge in small arteries in the retina, the delicate network of blood vessels and nerve cells at the back of the eye.\u00a0 These minute yellowish blockages, known as Hollenhorst plaques, can be evidence of severe atherosclerosis.\u00a0 Ultrasound testing of the carotid areas may be needed to pinpoint the plaque or plaques.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Optic nerve abnormalities:<\/strong> The optic nerve, which transmits visual information from the retina to the brain, is visible at the rear of the eye.\u00a0 It\u2019s supposed to be pink.\u00a0 A pale optic nerve can be an early manifestation of MS (multiple sclerosis) as well as evidence of a brain tumor or aneurysm.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Retinal defects:<\/strong> Various medical conditions, notably diabetes and high blood pressure, can damage the blood vessels and nerves in the retina (as well as elsewhere in the body).\u00a0 This retinal damage \u2013 which can cause blindness \u2013 can take several forms, including tiny hemorrhages, leaks of yellowish fluid and puffy- looking whitish patches known as cotton wool spots.\u00a0 White patches on the retina can also be a manifestation of cytomegalovirus infection \u2013 possibly a sign of AIDS.\u00a0 In some cases, the retina is overgrown with tangled and highly fragile blood vessels \u2013 the result of a process known as neovascularization.<\/p>\n If you notice one of these signs in your own eyes, alert your doctor.\u00a0 Doc will look at the physical findings and then listen to the patient\u2019s story line and family history.\u00a0 Then doc decides what testing is necessary.\u00a0 The last thing you want to do is ignore one of these signs \u2013 especially one that has shown up recently.<\/p>\n See you next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some agree that eyes are the \u201cwindows to the soul\u201d, as the ancient proverb has it.\u00a0 Maybe, but they\u2019re also portals through which one can glimpse signs of health problems – not only eye disorders like cataracts and cardiovascular disease.\u00a0…","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-health-talk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n