Eye Conditions That Are Usually A Sign Of An Underlying Health Condition

The eyes are some of the most fascinating features we have. Some people claim that it is possible to see into someone’s soul, to tell if someone is telling the truth or not, or even to judge the personality of an individual just by looking at the eyes, While there is no proof the above claims are true, it is possible to tell whether an individual is suffering from a health condition before the symptoms appear just by looking at the eyes.

The health conditions are not necessarily eye related since the conditions here include cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancer, hereditary diseases, and diabetes mellitus among others. Therefore visiting the eye doctor for a routine checkup can help the doctor to detect a serious disease early enough. Here are signs that your eyes could be telling a story about an underlying health condition that is in its very early stages:

• Are you developing yellow eyes?

This change in eye colour is an indication that an individual is developing a liver disease, cirrhosis, or hepatitis. The change in eye pigment results from the accumulation of bilirubin, which is a compound that results from haemoglobin breakdown. The conjunctiva in turn changes its colour to a yellowish pigment as an indication of the above.

• Are you developing bloody eyes?

Having bloodshot eyes is not usually a cause for concern because it might mean that eyes are irritated or even tired. The eyes have numerous blood vessels that play several functions including nourishing the conjunctiva, and when these blood vessels break they can cause the eyes to turn red.

An eye injury can cause these blood vessels to break; or if a haemorrhage is not the cause, they eyes may be indicating that an individual has high blood pressure or that there is a disorder with the platelets.

• Are your pupils behaving abnormally?

A person with normal pupils will have them tending towards being symmetrical and their reaction to light will be uniform in both eyes. However, if there is an inconsistency in the size, speed of shrinking, and size of shrinking with exposure to light, it is possible that there is a serious underlying health problem. The eyes may be trying to tell of a looming stroke, presence of an optic or brain tumour, presence of multiple sclerosis, or even the presence of syphilis.

• Are you developing bulging eyes?

Bulging eyes are quite normal if other members of the family have it because it is usually a hereditary condition that has no serious consequences more often than not. However, an individual develops bulging eyes and there seems to be not complications with the eyes, the eyes are trying to point to a thyroid disease. Excessive production of the thyroid hormone results in the swelling of the eye’s surrounding tissues which cause the eye to bulge out.

• Are you developing droopy eyes?

Many senior citizens develop drooping eyes a condition called ptosis because it is one of the signs that the body is aging. However, developing this condition early in life is an indication that there is an underlying health problem. In rare cases, drooping eyes indicate the presence of a tumour in the brain or myasthenia gravis (MG), which is a neuromuscular disease. MG weakens the muscles in the body and leads to droopy eyes among other things.

• Are your eyes starting to appear to have different colours?

Some babies are born with a condition referred to as heterochromia iridis, which can cause the iris in one or both eyes to lose their pigment. However, the difference in colour can result from the eye trying to tell what is happening in the body. The variation in colour can also be as a result of glaucoma, bleeding in the eye, inflammation, the presence of a foreign body in the eye, or an indication that an individual is suffering from neurofibromatosis.

• Are there rings developing around your cornea?

Wilson’s disease is a rare disease that leads to copper accumulating in different tissues such as on the liver and the brain. The copper deposits are at times deposited in the cornea and appear to be coloured discs surrounding an individual’s pupil. The disease will not usually cause harm to many people suffering from it, however if no action is taken it can lead to the death of the victim.
If you or a friend answered yes to any of the questions above, then it is very important to visit an eye professional for him or her to determine whether it is a case to dismiss or it needs immediate medical attention.