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A simple vision test can reveal a lot about your health and well being.
Looking into a person’s eyes can tell you a lot about their past and who they are as an individual. After all, as the old saying goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul. However, looking in to a person’s eyes may not only give you a good insight into how they are feeling or what they are thinking, but scientists are also working to advance their knowledge of how the eyes could also be an avenue for uncovering important health issues or dangerous diseases.
Through regular eye examinations, eye doctors are often among some of the first to uncover certain medical conditions or important health issues that may require further evaluation, potentially leading to an early diagnosis or treatment that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
The reason that these important health issues can be identified early on through a vision test is because the entire body’s system is essentially interconnected. Therefore, changes that happen within the eyes can reflect those that occur in the nervous system, vascular system or immune system. Thanks to these clues, doctors are able to regularly alert their patients of possible infections or diseases that could get progressively worse if not discovered.
Plus, because the eyes are see-through in a unique way that our other bodily organs are not, they can offer a special glimpse into the body, allowing doctors to directly view nerves, tissue and blood vessels without specialized equipment.
Here are just a few important health problems that are often discovered through regular eye examinations:
Diabetes
Diabetes is just one dangerous disease which can cause significant changes to your eyes and your vision For instance, in diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels tend to hemorrhage and leak blood and fluids through the eyes. This can cause eye tissues to become deprived of oxygen and left to die, often leaving significant vision damage or blindness in individuals. However, identifying these vision problems early on through an eye exam can prevent the problem from becoming too serious.
Stroke Risk
For people who are susceptible to heart disease or other stroke risk factors, the eyes are just one more avenue for identifying problems that may lead to strokes. This is because blood clots that are found in the arteries of the neck and head can often be viewed as small clots in the tiny blood vessels of the eye. Seeing these clots can help to predict stroke risk among eye patients.
Inflamations
Inflammation that is found in the optic nerve in the eye can usually signal other problems to come in otherwise young, healthy individuals. This is because the immune systems interaction with the eye will often uncover important signs and symptoms of autoimmune diseases or infections within the rest of the body. Sometimes, symptoms in the eye can even appear before others in the body, such as joint pain.
While regular eye examinations are beneficial for strong vision and healthy eyes, many doctors also recommend these annual exams as a helpful way for identifying other health problems that might otherwise go unnoticed. Contact OCLI today to schedule your regular eye exam and take a step closer to healthy vision and overall wellness.
