Eye tests are generally quick and simple, but they can detect a range of conditions from dry eye and astigmatism to more serious issues like cardiovascular disease. ... What issues can your eye test identify?
Your eyes act as an early warning system to let you know when something is wrong and you need medical attention. Diabetes, for instance, can cause blurred vision when symptoms began to flare up. Dim or double vision may be an early sign you are suffering a stroke. Blood vessels are especially revealing.
By examining your eyes in this way, your eye doctor can often detect conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arterial plaque, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, stroke, leukemia and many other conditions.
A regular, routine eye test can sometimes detect eye problems that indicate the presence of a brain tumour before any symptoms become obvious. An eye test is particularly good at identifying any swelling of the optic disc (a condition called papilloedema) and can also identify when there is pressure on the optic nerve.
Can an eye doctor tell if you have thyroid problems?
One of the first things your doctor or ophthalmologist will look for is the classic symptoms of thyroid eye disease. A few of the symptoms they'll look out for during an eye exam include: Irritation or grittiness.
The eyes also reveal important information about your heart health. During the exam, the ophthalmologist will look for important clues about your blood pressure and cholesterol while examining your blood vessels, veins, arteries, and cornea.
The Optician uses an ophthalmoscope or Volk lens to examine the retina at the back of the eye, including the blood vessels and the front of the optic nerve. This important test can detect changes which can indicate diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Blurry vision can be one of the first signs of diabetes, so eye doctors are often the first health professionals to diagnose the disease. However, diabetes can be diagnosed in an eye exam even if no symptoms are noticeable.
During an eye exam, an optometrist may be able to measure the diameter of blood vessels to determine if a person is likely to have high blood pressure. If the optometrist takes a retinal photograph, signs of high blood pressure will be seen in red areas of haemorrhaging in the eyes.
Can doctors tell if you have high cholesterol by looking at your eyes?
Not only can high blood pressure during a comprehensive eye exam, but high cholesterol can also be discovered. People with high cholesterol sometimes have either a blue or yellow ring located around their cornea.
Your optometrist can catch the early signs of high cholesterol in two ways: In patients under 40, one sign of high cholesterol is a blue or yellow ring around the cornea. In all patients, cholesterol deposits in the retina's blood vessels can indicate high levels of cholesterol throughout a patient's body.
Your eye doctor can check for Graves' eye disease by doing a physical eye exam. During the exam, your doctor will take a close look at your eyes and eyelids. If your eye doctor thinks you may have Graves' disease, you'll need blood tests to check if your thyroid is working correctly.
Blurry vision, double vision, and loss of vision are all associated with tumors, Schwartz says. You may also see floating spots or shapes—or what's known as an "aura."
