You certainly have heard that phrase “the eyes are the window to the soul”. Eyes can say so much. They can show emotions like anger or sadness. Even your pupils dilate when looking at someone you love. This happens because your dopamine levels go up when expecting something good. You can have the same reaction when waiting for that delicious piece of cake, though.
Eyes don’t only tell our emotions, they can tell about our overall health. That is why it is important to pay attention to any changes in your eye health. Like the following ones:
Blind Spot
A “blind spot” in your vision is also called scotoma, which affects your eye health. It can be a bit alarming when it happens. If they are together with stars, zig-zag lines or sparkles can indicate a migraine with aura. This scotoma lasts between 50 to 60 minutes, usually ending in a headache. It is important to see your doctor if the vision blind spot lasts over 60 minutes or if they don’t resolve themselves naturally. Migraine with aura increases the possibility of experiencing a stroke. (1)
Blurred Vision
You may not be surprised if I say that blurred vision is very common nowadays. As we spend a big part of our days looking at our phone, computer, and other devices’ screens. More cases of blurred visions are known. Doctors called this condition ‘dry eye syndrome’ or ‘digital eye strain’.
If you are experiencing blurred vision, consult your physician or optometrist to take care of your eye health. Possible solutions can be wearing special glasses while using electronic devices or a vision therapy program.
When cloudy vision happens together with other symptoms such as headache, numbness on one side of the body, eye redness, confusion, trouble talking, and any other serious symptoms. Seek medical care promptly. These can be signs of more serious health problems. (2)
Yellow Whites
In Frank Hebert’s novel Dune, he describes people that live in the desert to have blue on blue eyes due to the consumption of a spice. This image is quite strange to us. However, in real life, the white of your eyes can turn yellow. It will be hard not to notice as well as running to the doctor.
Yellow whites can indicate that you may be suffering from bile obstruction, hepatitis, cirrhosis, jaundice, or any other liver or blood-related diseases.
Eyebrow loss
Eyebrows are also an important part of our eye health. Noticeable changes can give us clues of any other underlying health issues. While it is common to lose hair in different areas of your body, this gets quickly replaced by new hair. It is just a natural cycle of our bodies. Although, if you notice a significant loss in eyebrow hairs, this may be a sign of high levels of stress, aging, or nutrient deficiency.
It can also be related to a thyroid hormonal imbalance, either hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone) or hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone). In very rare cases eyebrow loss can be a sign of alopecia aerate (spot baldness). (3)
Permanent Sty
It’s hard to ignore when that uncomfortable bump (sty) shows up in your eye, either on your eyelid or somewhere else. They are also unpleasant and inconvenient. A sty appears because of a blocked sebaceous gland. This usually disappears within a couple of days. If the sty lasts longer you should seek medical attention. This can be a sign of a more serious eye infection or a sebaceous gland carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that affects your eye health.
