Glaucoma and cataracts aren’t the only problems that can be seen by gazing into someone’s eyes
By Paula Spencer, Caring.com senior editor
Looking people straight in the eye may or may not reveal their honesty — but the eyes CAN tell you about cholesterol, liver disease, or diabetes, if you know what to look for.
“The eye is a unique window into health,” says ophthalmologist Andrew Iwach, spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and executive director of the Glaucoma Center of San Francisco. “It’s the only place in the body where, without surgery, we can look in and see veins, arteries, and a nerve (the optic nerve).”
The eyes’ transparency explains why common eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration can be detected early with regular eye exams.
“Unfortunately, people get busy and delay not only eye exams but regular physicals. That’s why eye doctors sometimes discover other issues, like diabetes or high blood pressure,” Iwach says. Especially vulnerable, he says: People like caregivers, who worry about others around them while neglecting care for themselves.
Keep your eye out for these 14 problems.
Source: caring.com
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