An optometrist can tell a lot about a person’s health by looking into their eyes.

The eyes are a unique window to the world of health; it’s the only place in the human body where, without surgery, it’s possible to see veins, arteries, and nerves.

Beyond eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration that can be detected early with regular eye exams, there are a number of other health issues I can detect by looking into your eyes. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, Crohn’s Disease, Tuberculosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lyme Disease, and more. In fact, Dr. Rosinski and I both have discovered diseases previously undiagnosed by other physicians during eye exams. 

I once had a patient with some unidentifiable health issues who was under the care of a cardiologist and his primary care physician. I performed an eye exam and saw bleeds in the back of his eye, indicating he had diabetes. I requested that he be tested for diabetes, and the test results were positive.

In another case, an 18-year-old male patient came to me for some medical issues he was experiencing. During the exam, I noticed he had iritis (inflammation of the iris), a possible symptom of Lyme Disease. After further testing, he ended up testing positive for Lyme and getting the proper treatment. 

These are just two examples of diseases that can be detected. Countless other times, I see high cholesterol (cholesterol builds up in the cornea and in retinal blood vessels) and high blood pressure (blood vessel changes in the eyes) of which the patient is unaware. This, of course, leads to the discussion of the patient’s medical history and medication regimen to determine if additional systemic treatment is necessary.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have regular eye exams – not just for eye health, but for your overall health, as well. If it has been more than 12 months since your last exam, please give our office a call at 434-823-4441 and set up an appointment soon.