The 5 health red flags you can spot in your eyes
WE take our eyes for granted. But they can reveal a lot about what's going on with our health.
Experts say if anything changes with your eye health, you should take note and see if it goes away.
Prolonged symptoms in the eyes, whether that be vision changes, pain, discolouration, irriation and more, could be a warning sign of something serious.
Here, we take a look at five key red flags:
Floaters in vision
If you start to get black or grey specs drifting in your vision, you should see an eye doctor immediately.
It can be a symptom of diabetic retinopathy - which can occur when high blood sugar levels over a long period of time damage the blood vessels in the back of the eye.
Blood vessels can weaken, bulge or leak into the retina. They may close off or grow in the retina, where they should not be.
If left untreated it can cause sight loss.
Specsavers clinical services director Giles Edmonds said: “Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of sight loss among people of working age in the UK.
“So it’s hugely important that diabetes is detected early and people are supported to manage the condition effectively to minimise the risk of avoidable sight loss.
“Some people who have diabetic retinopathy can also develop diabetic macular oedema.
“The macula is the part of your retina you need for reading, driving and seeing faces, however over time, the disease can destroy the sharp vision in this part of the eye leading to partial vision loss or even blindness.”
Blurred vision
“Blurred vision can be caused by many things and it is vital you get it checked out,” Mr Edmonds said.
It could be the result of diabetic retinopathy, as described above.
“It can also lead to dimmer vision, as if you’re wearing sunglasses, or struggling to see when it’s dark, which are important signs not to ignore,” Mr Edmonds said.
Migraines, inflammation of the optic nerve, a hole in the retina, bleeding due to injury and a scratch the surface of the eye can all cause blurred vision.
In any case, it is always worth checking with an eye doctor.
In some cases, blurred vision could be a sign of an emergency, such as stroke, concussion or sepsis.
Blurred vision, or spots of vision loss, is one of the key symptoms of advanced glaucoma - a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged.
It usually doesn't show symptoms at first. But as it worsens, symptoms might include blurred vision, or seeing rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights.
Sometimes these symptoms - as well as nausea, eye pain and a headache - come on very suddenly, and you should go to A&E as soon as possible, the NHS says.
Without treatment, glaucoma can eventually lead to blindness.
Puffy eyes or dark circles
There are several factors that could contribute to dark circles and puffiness.
While some are cosmetic - ageing, for example - others indicate something is going on inside the body.
Eye bags could be a tell-tale sign that you are eating too much salt, as it causes water retention. The face generally may be more puffy.
But more serious triggers include hormonal imbalances, sinus infections, allergies, anaemia, and even thyroid or kidney problems.
“Alcohol dehydrates the body, which contributes to the breakdown of your natural collagen levels.
"If you smoke, the nicotine in tobacco will not only inhibit collagen formation, but it may also disrupt your natural sleep patterns which can cause fluid to collect beneath your eyes.
“Lack of sleep can lead to dehydration and thinning of the skin which in turn can make blood vessels more visible.”
She recommended keeping hydrating, avoiding boozing and cigarettes and watching your diet if you want to improve the appearance of the skin around your eyes.
Discoloured eyes
The white part of the eye, called the sclera, should be a shade of white if healthy.
Eyes that are dull, lacklustre, or losing their sparkle are often showing the effects of lack of sleep or poor diet.
When the whites of the eyes are red, it could be due to conjunctivitis, blepharitis, dry eyes or a burst blood vessel.
You can ask a pharmacist for advice, or see a GP of your eye doesn’t get better by itself over a few days, the NHS says.
In African Americans, the sclera can have harmless brownish spots due to high levels of the dark brown pigment called melanin.
Yellowing of the whites of the eye is called jaundice, which occurs due to elevated bilirubin levels in the bloodstream.
The NHS says: “Jaundice is when your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow. It can be a sign of something serious, such as liver disease, so you need to get urgent medical help.”
Other causes of yellowing eyes include pancreatitis, hepatitis and sickle cell disease.
Dry eyes
Dry eyes could simply be the result of a heavy night of drinking, a late night staring at a computer screen, air conditioning or dust.
But you should see a doctor if you have prolonged dry eyes, or other symptoms such as irritation or pain.
Dry eyes occur when there is not enough production of tears, which lubricate the surface of the eye.
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An autoimmune disease can cause the eyes to dry up, for example Sjogren's syndrome, which most often starts between the ages of 40 and 60 and also causes dry lips and skin, muscle pain and sinus infections.
Lupus, another autoimmune condition that may cause dry eyes, leads to inflammation of different parts of the body including the lungs, heart, liver, joints and kidneys.