Your eyes speak too! Surprised right? Even though they primarily serve as your windows to the world and your soul, your eyes also say a whole lot about just how healthy you are. It is important that you pay keen attention to your eyes. Have you ever noticed that your eyes are glassy, red, blurry or even swollen? Here are some ways your eyes may just be trying to tell you that something is wrong health wise.
A Sudden Blurry Sight
So, you are reading a magazine or even hanging out with friends and all of a sudden, your vision just gets all blurry or cloudy like some smokescreen—this is a sign of some serious medical condition and should not be ignored even if the smokescreen passes after a while. In fact, a sudden blurred vision may just be a sign of a disruption of blood flow to your eyes or your brain and maybe the neon sign of a stroke or even the beginning of a serious migraine.
Gray Cornea Rings
We have heard of finger rings, nose rings, earrings and so many others. But what happens when your cornea begins to have a ring around it? And grey too! Your cornea is that part of your eye that covers your iris and pupil, and it is the part of your eye that helps it focus on objects. Having a grey ring around your cornea is a sign of a medical condition known as Corneal Arcus. The ring is formed by a deposit of fat that grows on the outer edge of your cornea. If you are below the age of 40 and you notice this, it may be a sign that your body cholesterol levels are way beyond the limit and you should visit your doctor immediately. For people above the age of 40, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Yellow Eye Whites
Traditionally, your eyes are supposed to be colored white and black—purely neutral. For some people, the whites of their eyes may be somewhat creamy. However, when the white of your eyes become as yellow as egg yolks, then something is most definitely the matter. In many cases, having yellow eye whites is a sign of jaundice. Jaundice is a medical condition that is caused by high bilirubin levels as a result of an inflamed or damaged liver. Although jaundice is more common with babies, excessive consumption of alcohol or a blockage of your bile ducts may also lead to this condition. If not treated on time, jaundice could cause some damage to your brain and nervous system. Treatment options range from surgery to a change in your diet and lifestyle.
Night Blindness
If your sight goes away just as night arrives and it is hard for you to see at night or in a dim light, you may just be suffering from cataract—an eye disease that involves the clouding of the natural lens of your eyes. Cataract can be treated with surgery.
In some other cases, however, night blindness could mean you suffer insufficiency of vitamin A. This can be treated by eating meals that are rich in vitamin A like carrots and sweet potatoes. Night blindness is not an uncommon condition in the United States.
Loss of the Eyebrow
What is your eye without those slipping hairs above it? Many people take pride in how full and curly their eyebrows are. Now, imagine you don’t have them anymore…pretty scary, right? Losing your eyebrows is just like taking a large chunk out of your facial beauty. If the outer parts of your eyebrows start to disappear, it may be an indicator of a thyroid disease like Hyperthyroidism or Hypothyroidism, and it should be looked into immediately. You should visit a doctor and have them check the state of your thyroid gland. Eyebrow loss may also be caused by stress or nutrient deficiencies.
Bulging Eyes
If you notice that your eyes are expanding, it is necessary that you visit a medical practitioner. This is because bulging eyes are a key symptom of the Graves eye disease. The Graves eye disease occurs when your thyroid gland is too active. A key symptom of bulging eyes is difficulty in closing your eyes. Bulging eyes as a medical condition occurs in nearly 30% of the American population.
Cloudy Vision
This is important for people suffering from diabetes. It is necessary that you keep tabs on your vision if you have been diagnosed with the sugar disease. Having a cloudy vision as a diabetic patient may be a sign of Diabetic Retinopathy. This is a condition that is caused by damage to the blood vessels in your retina. You should contact a specialist if you notice such symptom.
A Stye
Many times, having a stye—reddish bump that occurs just along the inner or outer eyelid margin is nothing to be overly worried about. However, if the stye does not clear up in 3 months or if it keeps reoccurring at exactly the same spot, it could just be a sign of a rare cancerous condition called Sebaceous Gland Carcinoma.
Styes are often the result of excess oil in the skin that gets plugged up just at the eyelash follicles. However, cancerous cysts that disguise as styes never go away or they go away and return right at the same spot! If you have noticed this, you should visit an ophthalmologist and have the stye removed through surgery.
Blurred Vision
Usually, having a blurred vision means you should get a pair of glasses. However, in some cases, having a blurred vision could mean even more. Research shows that a blurred vision is one of the major signs of diabetes. In fact, nearly 73% of diabetic patients reportedly suffer from blurred visions. A blurred vision may also be a sign of cataract or other conditions like Macular Degeneration.
White Spots on Your Cornea
Having white spots on your cornea could be a sign of a corneal infection especially for persons who use contact lenses.
Itching
Eye itching is something quite uncomfortable and can be a symptom of a number of conditions. Itchy eyes could be a symptom of seasonal allergies. In addition, rubbing your eyes could lead them to become really red, dry and swollen. It can also cause some wrinkles, and your eyelids sagging from your eyes.
Red Eyes
This is perhaps the most popular condition. Redness of the eyes may be the result of stress and lack of sleep. Your eyes tell you when you have been working too hard and need a break. Pay attention to this and you will never break down.
Pinguecula
This tongue-twisting term is simply a yellow patch or bump that develops on your eye whites when you have had too much of sun rays. A few of them are pre-cancerous but thankfully, many of them are not.
Pinguecula occurs when the sun’s ultraviolet rays begin to damage your iris. The next time you go sunbathing, make sure you protect your eyes from sun damage with a pair of sunglasses.
Certainly, the eyes may not tell you just how honest a person is. However, they say so much about a person’s health. Pay attention to your eyes and you may just nip a whole lot of medical conditions in their buds. Your eyes are your natural physicians. Yes, your eyes speak too. The question is—how well can you listen?
