Like Skin, mouth, fingernails, and mucus, eyes show signs of what is going on in the body — that goes for medical conditions as well.
More than any of the others, too, reportedly, it is the eyes that reveal health issues.
That’s why the first to spot health conditions are often ophthalmologists and optometrists.
“It’s the only place you can see blood vessels bouncing along their merry way, you can see the optic nerve, which is part of the brain,” says Dr. Charles P. Wilkinson, a retina specialist and clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
“Looking in an eye really is a fabulous experience.”
So what can they tell?
Diabetes is a big one. Around 34 percent of diabetes cases are indicated during an eye exam. High blood pressure cases even higher: 39 percent. And what about high cholesterol? 62 percent.
“If people hadn’t gone to see their eye doctor, they’d be walking around with time bomb diseases,” according to VSP president Jim McGrann says that these findings showed that for many of these patients.
What else can they see?
Some cancers, such as ocular melanoma (a rare form of melanoma), brain tumor, use of certain medications, and Sjogren’s syndrome.