THE EYES – Open Book of Our Bodies

Ophthalmologist can detect symptoms of certain diseases just by looking into our eyes. Most popular examination of this kind is ophthalmoscopy which not only determines state of our eyes but also can be source of valuable information about whole organism. Early detection of changes in the fundus of the eye can help monitoring such disorders as diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

During looking at ourselves in the mirror we can see whether our eyes have changed. If our eyes look strange for a longer period of time we should immediately visit ophthalmologist. In many cases changes in the outlook of our eyes and in the way we see are first symptoms of health problems.

If you notice that:

• Whites of your eyes are red and you can feel and under your eyelids – it can be a symptom of conjunctivitis. If it is accompanied by pain and decrease in visual acuity keratitis and iridocyclitis are also probable diagnosis. Iridocyclitis may be symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. Redness of the whites can also be symptom of glaucoma.
• That you eyes have visually changed and are goggly – it can be a symptom of hyperthyreosis. It happens so because tissue surrounding the eye stops growing causing gradual goggling of the eyes. Negligence in that field may result in loss of vision.
• That you suddenly see double you should contact a doctor as soon as possible because it can be a symptom of dangerous disorders such as brain tumour. Generally double vision is caused by malfunction of eye bulb muscles (myocitis). Irregular tension of the muscles results in each eye seeing at different angle. Double vision is also sometimes connected with optical neuritis. It can also be a symptom of diabetes, stroke or first symptom of SM (sclerosis multiplex).
• That white rings appear around your iris – it indicates that your cholesterol level is too high. However – they do not influence vision. They usually appear above 50 years of age, should they appear earlier – it can mean disturbance in metabolism e.g.
  high level of fats in the blood. If this is the case the rings are often accompanied with yellow spots and lipomas.
• That you cannot see the central part of your vision – it may mean problems with central part of the retina (macula). This is often experienced by those suffering from diabetes. It can develop in one or both eyes. Other reason for loss of vision in the central part can be SM. It is typical for this disorder to attack optical nerve, which transmits signals from retina to brain.

We should trust our eyes as they are a book that should be read thoroughly.

Control ophthalmological examination should be done at least once a year.
It can help in early diagnosis of many diseases.

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