The eyes, as we all know, serve as portals into the soul. Was it ever brought to your awareness that eye problems might be the first symptom of severe health issues? Doctors may detect some health issues by pupillary light reflex. To give you an overview, here’s how it works.
Diabetes
- How it can show in the pupil and eyes: poor night vision, Blurred vision: A condition called diabetic retinopathy occurs when blood vessels in the retina in the back of the eye leak, causing visual issues. Blindness may result if left untreated. In California, it’s one of the most prevalent causes of vision loss and blindness. A third of persons with diabetes develop retinopathy, according to the American Diabetes Association.
- Treatment: Early pupillary evaluation of retinopathy may help decrease or halt the progression of visual loss. Laser surgery may be utilized on occasion.
- Prevention: It is critical for people with diabetes to keep a close eye on their blood sugar levels. Maintaining a healthy diet is essential to controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, as it is for other aspects of diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy might be present even when there are no symptoms. Thus, it’s crucial to get frequent eye examinations.
High cholesterol
- How it can show in the pupil and eyes: A white or greyish ring kind of mark around the cornea, but the clear surface on the front of the eye: Known as “arcus senilis,” this disorder appears as a gray-white line of fat deposits on the cornea’s outer surface. Deposits may sometimes form a ring. A frequent symptom of old age, arcus senilis, is not a cause for alarm among the elderly. It might, however, be an indication of dangerously high cholesterol in someone younger than 40, a symptom of familial hyperlipidemia, a hereditary disorder that causes elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in family members. These fatty deposits, known as xanthelasmas, may also be seen on the eyelids.
- Treatment: This is a warning sign of high cholesterol in those under the age of 40 who have this symptom. Dietary advice to decrease cholesterol doesn’t always work for patients with familial hyperlipidemia; thus, pupil evaluation and medication are frequently suggested.
- Prevention: Dietary adjustments may be able to help reduce familial hyperlipidemia. It’s essential to maintain the amount of saturated fat in your diet to a minimum and consume a plant-based diet that includes a lot of vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Liver Ailments
- How it can show in the pupil and eyes: Yellow whites of the eyes: Sclera is the name given to the white part of an eye. White is the color of eye tissue that is in good health. This condition, known as jaundice, is a warning indication of liver illness and should be taken seriously. When the liver is internally inflamed or injured, it produces bilirubin, which causes the yellowing of the skin. Several possible causes of yellow eyes, including drinking or cancer, but cirrhosis is the most frequent. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis B and C are other possible causes. The gallbladder or pancreas may also cause yellow eyes, which might signify other health issues. You may also experience black urine and itchy skin, in addition to yellow eyes, as a side effect.
- Treatment: If you’re experiencing this symptom, you must get your doctor to measure pupil size. Your doctor will recommend tests to see whether your liver is functioning correctly, and your treatment will be based on the findings.
Stroke
- How it can show in the pupils and eyes: Temporary loss of vision, double vision: Temporary blindness in one eye may be caused by an acute transient ischemic attack (TIA), a momentary lack of oxygen to one area of the brain, like a curtain being drawn over that eye. In addition to the loss of vision in both eyes, TIAs may also cause a sensation of double vision. It’s important to remember that TIAs, or transient ischemic attacks, may be deadly.
- Treatment: A trip to the emergency room for pupil measurement is necessary if you have any of the above-mentioned visual problems, mainly if they occur in conjunction with additional symptoms, including weakness, numbness, or pricking on one side of your body or face or trouble speaking clearly.
- Prevention: Keeping our blood pressure in check, lowering weight if we’re overweight, exercising frequently, and quitting smoking are all ways to reduce our risk of stroke. Again, a nutritious diet is essential.
Vitamin A insufficiency
- How it can show in the pupils and eyes: Night blindness: A deficiency in vitamin A might cause difficulty seeing at night or in the dim light in California. These are called night blindness or nyctalopia. In addition to night blindness, other eye diseases, such as nearsightedness or cataracts, may cause it.
- Treatment: In cases when vitamin A insufficiency is to blame for night blindness, supplements and pupil diameter measurement will be administered. The fundamental problem would be addressed if there were any additional reasons.
- Prevention: Vitamin A is abundant in the food we eat in California. Pumpkin, carrot, mango, and sweet potato are just a few of the brightly colored vegetables and fruits that you may eat to meet your daily vitamin A intake.
How often should you schedule an eye exam?
In addition to protecting your eyes, a regular eye checkup may protect your general health.
Screening recommendations from the American Academy of Ophthalmology include:
- At the age of 40, those with no known risk factors for eye disease should have a baseline eye disease screening. Early indications of illness and visual abnormalities may occur at this time. Based on the severity of your health condition, your ophthalmologist may recommend periodic checkups to monitor your eye health.
- It is possible to examine adults at any age with risk factors such as a family history of eye illness.