Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality health cover, is encouraging people to pay closer attention to changes in their eyes during Eye Care Awareness Month (23 September to 18 October).
Your eyes do more than help you see. They may also reveal important clues about your overall health. During an eye examination, an optometrist can examine the retina, optic nerve, and tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye. Changes in these areas may point to diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health conditions, often before any noticeable symptoms appear.
“Changes in the eyes shouldn’t be ignored just because they don’t hurt,” says Murray Hewlett, CEO of Affinity Health.
“Many eye and general health issues can develop quietly without warning. Regular eye tests, along with routine health checks, can help detect problems earlier, when they’re often easier to deal with.”
Here are 10 warning signs your eyes could be telling you about your health.
- Blurred or Changing Vision
Blurred vision can mean you need glasses, but it may also be linked to fluctuating blood sugar levels. High blood glucose can temporarily change fluid levels in the eye, affecting its ability to focus.
Persistent, blurred vision may also be a sign of diabetic retinopathy, a condition in which diabetes damages the small blood vessels in the retina. Because early diabetic retinopathy often causes no symptoms, people living with diabetes should not wait for their vision to change before arranging an eye examination.
- Sudden Loss of Vision
Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes is a medical emergency. It may be caused by a blocked blood vessel in the retina, retinal detachment, or a problem affecting the brain, including a stroke.
Even if your sight returns after a few minutes, seek urgent medical attention. Temporary vision loss may be a warning that blood flow to the eye or brain has been interrupted.
- Flashes, Floaters or a Dark Curtain
Floaters may appear like dots, threads, or cobwebs drifting across your vision. A few long-standing floaters are often harmless.
However, a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light, or a dark curtain or shadow moving across your sight could indicate a retinal tear or detachment. Prompt treatment may be needed to prevent permanent sight loss.
- Changes in the Retinal Blood Vessels
High blood pressure can damage the delicate blood vessels at the back of the eye. During an examination, an optometrist may notice narrowing, leaking, swelling, or bleeding in these vessels.
These changes may indicate that hypertension is affecting the body, even if the person feels well. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can also increase the risk of heart disease, kidney damage, and stroke.
- Yellowing of the Whites of the Eyes
Yellow eyes can occur when bilirubin, a yellow substance formed during the breakdown of red blood cells, builds up in the body.
Known as jaundice, this change may point to a problem involving the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, or pancreas. This needs medical assessment, particularly if it comes with dark urine, pale stools, itching, nausea, or abdominal pain.
- Unusually Pale Inner Eyelids
The tissue inside the lower eyelid is normally pink or red. If it appears unusually pale, it may be a sign of anaemia.
Iron-deficiency anaemia reduces the body’s ability to produce healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen. Other warning signs can include tiredness, weakness, dizziness, breathlessness, headaches, or a racing heartbeat. Anaemia can only be confirmed through appropriate medical tests.
- Bulging or Unusually Prominent Eyes
Eyes that begin to bulge or become more prominent may be linked to thyroid eye disease, which is often associated with Graves’ disease and an overactive thyroid.
Other symptoms may include redness, dryness, swelling, light sensitivity, double vision, pressure behind the eyes, or difficulty closing the eyelids fully. Early assessment is important because severe thyroid eye disease can affect sight.
- A White, Grey or Blue Ring Around the Cornea
A pale ring around the coloured part of the eye is known as corneal arcus. It is common with ageing and is often harmless in older adults.
When the ring appears in a younger person, however, it may be associated with high cholesterol or an inherited condition affecting how the body processes fats. A healthcare provider may recommend cholesterol testing, particularly if there is a family history of early heart disease.
- Persistent Dry, Gritty or Painful Eyes
Dry eyes are commonly caused by screen use, air conditioning, contact lenses, allergies, or certain medicines
However, severe or ongoing dryness may sometimes be associated with autoimmune conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis. Speak to a healthcare provider if dry eyes occur with a persistently dry mouth, joint pain, swelling, light sensitivity, or changes in vision.
- Double Vision, a Drooping Eyelid or Unequal Pupils
New double vision, sudden eyelid drooping, or pupils that have become noticeably unequal may indicate a problem involving the nerves, muscles, blood vessels, or brain.
Seek urgent medical attention, especially if these symptoms occur with facial drooping, weakness on one side of the body, confusion, difficulty speaking, loss of balance, or a sudden severe headache. These may be warning signs of a stroke, aneurysm, or another serious neurological condition.
Conclusion
Do not wait for your sight to deteriorate before arranging an eye examination. People living with diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, or other long-term health conditions, along with those with a family history of eye disease, may need more frequent checks.
Affinity Health’s Day-to-Day policy includes one eye test and one pair of standard spectacles per member every 24 months through Spec-Savers, the designated optometry provider for applicable Day-to-Day and Combined plans. Benefits are subject to the selected plan’s terms and conditions.
