The benefits of regular comprehensive eye exams go well beyond maintaining your eye and vision health. A close examination of your optic nerve, retina, and lens can reveal signs of several systemic disorders. A comprehensive eye examination is one of the few instances where a doctor can glean what’s happening with your body without invasive imaging, blood tests, or surgery. 

Your eyes are windows that provide a view of your overall health. Eye doctors can detect more than 20 health issues early on during a comprehensive eye examination. The eyes can show signs of these health problems due to their delicate structures, including blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues.

Some of these include the following:

High Blood Pressure

In most cases, some bleeding in the eye is harmless. Sneezing or coughing too hard can sometimes cause bleeding. However, it can also signal high blood pressure presenting as subconjunctival hemorrhage. When you have chronic hypertension, your retinal blood vessels may stiffen, causing bulging when the eye presses against a blood vessel.  

Diabetes

Many patients with this sneaky disease have perfect vision and show no symptoms. However, eye doctors can spot signs of underlying diabetes during a comprehensive eye exam. They often use retinal imaging devices to look inside the eye for any signs of retinal damage in its early stages. Diabetes does not have to rob you of your vision. When caught early, it is possible to prevent vision loss. 

The disease targets retinal blood vessels. Eye doctors can detect swollen blood vessels, dilated capillaries, and microaneurysms that block blood flow. New retinal blood vessels start growing in the advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy. However, they are weak and abnormally shaped, causing them to leak blood into the eye.

Heart Disease

Since there is a link between your eye health and heart health, an eye exam can detect several heart conditions. Eye doctors sometimes spot signs of cardiovascular conditions before patients know a problem exists. Signs of cardiovascular disease showing in the eyes include the following:

• Changes in retinal blood vessels

• Cholesterol deposits around and in the eyes

• Transient vision loss

High Cholesterol

People with high cholesterol often have a yellow or blue ring around their cornea. Deposits in the retinal blood vessels can also indicate high cholesterol levels. Sometimes, eye doctors can tell whether patients are on the brink of suffering a stroke due to high cholesterol by examining their eyes.

Multiple Sclerosis

This disorder is relatively rare, but it is a crippling neurological condition that can take a heavy toll on you. Eye doctors are sometimes the first medical professionals to spot signs of multiple sclerosis. People with this disorder usually experience optic nerve inflammation. This can cause double vision, blurriness, difficulty moving your eyes around, and other symptoms. 

Cancer

A comprehensive eye exam can detect tissue, skin, and blood cancer. These cancers often exhibit signs that an eye doctor can spot during a detailed eye examination. At the very least, your eye doctor might recommend a cancer screening.

Thyroid Disease

The thyroid gland is relatively small compared to most other body parts, but it plays a vital role. It is essential for metabolism and overall growth and can cause problems if it does not produce enough hormones. People with specific thyroid issues like hyperthyroidism often have protruding eyeballs, retracting eyelids, and other symptoms. 

Conclusion

Catching diseases early is key to preventing complications and severe outcomes. When you visit your eye doctor for a comprehensive exam, he/she will examine your eyes for signs of health issues affecting other areas of your body.

For more on eye exams, visit Gregor Eye Care at our office in Overland Park, Kansas. Call or text (913) 685-0212 to schedule an appointment today. Call (913) 742-3825 for after-hours or in the event of an emergency.

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/eye-exam-health.html

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/surprising-health-conditions-eye-exam-detects