5 types of dangerous diseases can be detected by eye examination

Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure or rheumatoid arthritis are diseases that can be discovered when you have an eye exam.

According to Reader's Digest, eyes are the only part that doctors can see nerves and blood vessels, so usually some diseases can be detected first through eye exams.

Cancer

Joseph Pizzimenti, an ophthalmologist professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, USA, said eye exams can detect many diseases from brain tumors to breast cancer or lung cancer that have spread to the eyes. Some types of bleeding in the retina can warn leukemia. Doctors can diagnose brain tumors based on vision changes.

Diabetes

When you have an eye exam, your doctor can detect many serious non-eye related diseases.(Photo: Rd).

One of the first signs of type 2 diabetes is the small amount of blood that appears in the retina. High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the retina, causing leakage or bleeding, resulting in decreased vision. If left untreated, this condition can lead to blindness.

High Blood Pressure

Jessica Ciralsky, associate professor of ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical University, New York (USA), said that blood vessel damage, including weakness and narrowing of arteries, may be a sign of high blood pressure. Many large-scale studies have found a link between heart disease and narrowing of the small blood vessels in the retina. Early detection of high blood pressure can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Multi sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative disease of nerve cells caused by optic neuritis, which can be detected by eye examination. Visual neuritis occurs in 75% of patients with multiple sclerosis and is one of the first symptoms of the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis

About 25% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis have eye problems, most commonly dry eye. The doctor can diagnose the disease by examining the cornea and eyeball.