Eyes show much more than a glimpse of your soul! They also give your eye doctor a view of your general health. Even if you have 20/20 vision, plenty of other body conditions can be revealed by an eye exam. That’s why it’s important to book a visit to an eye doctor near me – even if you aren’t having any trouble seeing.
What health conditions can your eye doctor see?
Beyond evaluating your visual acuity and inspecting for any signs of ocular disease, our Las Vegas, Nevada, eye doctor spends part of every eye exam searching for signs of a general health problem. The following diseases can cause symptoms that can be detected in your eyes:
- Diabetes – When blood sugars are elevated for prolonged periods, it can affect the tiny blood vessels in your retina, leading to leakage. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy, and it can cause vision loss.
- High Cholesterol – This dangerous health condition puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and heart attacks because fat deposits narrow your arteries. They can also form a ring around the edge of your cornea. If your eye doctor spots this ring of fat deposits in your eye, it can indicate that you have high cholesterol.
- Arthritis – Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory type of arthritis that can lead to swelling in your iris. Your eye may be painful, highly sensitive to light and red. If this form of arthritis progresses, it can spread and become debilitating.
- Liver damage – Yellow eyes and/or skin can highlight the presence of jaundice. This condition happens when the liver manufactures too much bilirubin, in response to damage or swelling caused by autoimmune disorders, viruses, genetic diseases, or alcoholism.
- Sickle cell disease – When a person has sickle cell disease, the blood cells are sickle shaped, leading to anemia, extreme fatigue and pain. The blood vessels in the eyes are also typically affected, and people experience eye pain, loss of peripheral vision, redness, jaundice, blurred vision and floaters. If the retinal blood vessels get blocked, a hemorrhage of the retina or vitreous gel may occur.
- Heart disease – Just like heart disease affects blood vessels in other organs of your body, it can change the blood vessels in the retina – causing narrowing or swelling. If your eye doctor discovers minor signs during an eye exam, it can indicate you’re at risk of developing heart disease. This information serves as an essential warning – because it enables you to make diet and lifestyle changes to decrease your risks.
- Myasthenia gravis – This autoimmune disorder often expresses itself first by causing drooping eyelids. Over time, the condition attacks and weakens body muscles.
- Brain and nerve disorders – It’s normal to have eye twitches when you’re tired or stressed, or even if you have some eye irritation. However, this symptom could also indicate a brain or nerve condition, such as Parkinson’s disease or Bell’s palsy.
Eye exams protect your body too
We care about your overall health and well-being and use top-tier technologies to perform comprehensive, dilated eye exams at Yesnick Vision Center. Let our Las Vegas, Nevada, eye doctor near me take a look at what’s happening in your eyes and your body!
At Yesnick Vision Center, we put your family's needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 702-966-2020 or book an appointment online to see one of our Las Vegas eye doctors.
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