What Your Eyes Say About Your Health (If You Have A Mirror, You Can Do This Now!)

In an age when doctors are increasingly pressed to get you out of their office quickly and not take the time to do thorough tests, having a good basic knowledge of signs and symptoms of disease has become more important than ever for all of us:

The eyes have it:

Dr. Siobhan Deshauer is back, this time working with Dr. Maria Howard, a Canadian optometrist, who advised behind-the-scenes to ensure the best information about these signs and symptoms and what they tell us:

1. Color blindness test: Ishihara color test identifies color blindness; in the version in the video, seeing “74” is normal, “12” indicates red-green color blindness, and no numbers suggest complete color blindness due to genetics or retinal/optic nerve issues.
2. Yellow sclera (scleral icterus): yellow sclera indicates high bilirubin from excessive red blood cell breakdown, liver damage, bile duct blockage, or Gilbert syndrome.
3. Blue sclera: indicates thin collagen in the sclera, which can be linked to osteogenesis imperfecta, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and Marfan syndrome.
4. Pink eye: caused by infections, autoimmune diseases, or trauma; persistent symptoms or associated pain/vision changes need medical evaluation.
5. Physiologic diplopia (double vision): normal test where fingers appear doubled when focusing on different planes; absence may indicate amblyopia.
6. Pinhole test (visual acuity): looking through a small pinhole can determine if glasses are needed for clearer vision.
7. Nearsighted vs farsighted: nearsightedness risks retinal tears and night vision issues, while farsightedness increases the risk of glaucoma.
8. Eye color and health: brown eyes lower cancer risk but higher cataract risk; light eyes higher cancer risk but lower cataract risk; sudden changes may indicate a condition.
9. Kayser-Fleischer rings: golden-brown rings around the iris suggest copper buildup from Wilson disease, treatable with chelation therapy.
10. Corneal arcus: gray/white ring around the iris indicates cholesterol buildup, normal with aging but concerning in younger individuals, signaling hypercholesterolemia or artery narrowing.
11. Limbal rings: dark rings around the iris are generally aesthetic and not health-related.
12. Red desaturation test: a difference in red color perception between eyes may indicate optic nerve or retinal issues.
13. Eye twitching: often linked to stress, sleep deprivation, or caffeine; persistent twitching or muscle involvement requires medical attention.
14. Pupillary reflex: pupil constriction in light; abnormal responses suggest trauma, overdose, or poisoning.
15. Cataracts: lens cloudiness due to age, UV exposure, smoking, diabetes, or prednisone; also occurs sometimes in youth due to conditions like diabetes.
16. Yellow spots (pinguecula and pterygium): sun damage, wind, and dust exposure cause yellow spots; protect with sunglasses to prevent progression impacting vision.
17. Dark spots in the eye: includes freckles, moles (nevi), and melanoma; changes require medical evaluation.
18. Hypnotic induction profile: eye roll test assesses susceptibility to hypnosis.
19. Floaters: normal clumps in the eye; sudden increases, flashes, or curtain-like effects may signal retinal detachment.
20. Retinal detachment: caused by aging-related vitreous shrinkage; treated with lasers, gas bubbles, or retinal buckles.
21. Macular degeneration (Amsler grid test): wavy, fuzzy lines or missing vision spots may indicate this condition.
22. Giant cell arteritis: no, that’s not a typo: rather it is about blood vessel inflammation that can cause blindness; treated with prednisone, symptoms include headaches and vision changes.
23. Near point of convergence: focus test to detect convergence issues common with excessive screen time.
24. Blepharitis: eyelid inflammation causing itchiness, burning, or flaky skin; treated with hygiene, antibiotics, or tea tree oil.
25. Proptosis (Graves’ disease): bulging eyes due to hyperthyroidism; treatable with medications, radiation, or surgery.
26. Ptosis (droopy eyelids): indicates myasthenia gravis, temporarily improved with the ice pack test.
27. Night vision issues: caused by retinal problems or high myopia, not typically vitamin A deficiency in developed countries.
28. Dry eyes: caused by screen time, smoking, medications, or autoimmune diseases; managed with lubricating drops, reduced screen time, and adjustments.
29. Watery eyes: caused by irritation or blocked tear ducts; treated with lubricating drops or surgery.
30. Retinoblastoma: rare childhood cancer detectable through flash photography showing one white pupil; early detection enables treatment.

For more on all of these plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!