There are many health conditions can be detected with an eye exam.
1. Diabetes- According to the CDD, 1 in 10 patients have diabetes an 1/3 of these patients have a condition called diabetic retinopathy. This is diagnosed when the eye doctor looks in the back of the eye ruing your eye exam.
2. Lyme disease – a tick-borne illness. The optic nerve becomes inflamed and the patient will see “floaters,” or spots in their vision in the initial phases of the disease. If not diagnosed in a timely manner, the patient would develop chronic joint inflammation, facial palsy, impaired memory, irregular heart, and other long term effects.
3. Cholesterol- This is determined by a whitish ring around the cornea or by deposits left behind in the retina’s blood vessels.
4. Thyroid disease- according to the American Thyroid Association, 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and more women than men are affected. They eye can either bulge out, eyelids can retract, and some may have problems with muscle eye movements.
5. Multiple sclerosis affects the optic nerve and will cause blurriness and double vision. This is because there the nerve becomes inflamed and the eye muscles have difficulty moving.
6. High blood pressure- According to the American Heart Association, 103 million adults have hypertension. The eye doctor will determine signs of blood pressure by the appearance of the blood vessels in the retina- back of the eye.
7. Cancer- some types can be discovered, for example, a teenager at Coan Eye Care was diagnosed with leukemia during his routine eye exam for contact lenses. There was excessive bleeding in the back of both eyes. If an optic nerve is swollen, it could also be sign of a brain tumor or a melanoma can just be physically present in the back of the eyes.
8. Lupus- an autoimmune disorder which can deteriorate vision without any pain over a short time.
9. Rheumatoid arthritis affects more women than men and since healthy tissues are attached, the eyes may feel uncomfortable and painful. Other conditions such as Sjorgren’s disease could also be detected which is a combination of arthritis, dry eyes, and dry mouth. The eyes are so dry but can be managed with special contact lenses.