Bloodshot and puffy eyes with dark circles often indicate that you are looking at someone who is not catching up on their beauty sleep. However, while it may well be obvious that someone has been burning the candle at both ends, the eyes can also give away all sorts of health issues that you might not even be aware of.
Three years ago, Kirsty Jones woke up with a swollen left eye. For a few days she thought it was a mosquito bite but, as time went on, the swelling worsened. She says: “My eye kept getting more and more swollen over the course of a few months. Then my other eye started swelling. My eyes were not only hugely puffy, but also looked like I was staring, as they would open extremely wide.
“I visited an ophthalmologist who diagnosed me with something called Thyroid Eye Disease. I hadn’t realised but my eyes had also begun protruding. Following blood tests, I discovered that my thyroid was in a very bad way, my antibodies were over the limit, and I had Graves’ disease. While there were lots of symptoms to the illness I passed off being a busy and stressed-out mum, it was my eyes that told me something was really wrong,” she adds.
To a patient it can seem strange that the thyroid, which is located in the neck, can affect the eyes, but it seems a dysfunction in myriad different body parts can be revealed by the eyes. So why exactly is this?
A complete unit
Dr Riani Grosskopf, General Practitioner, Cooper Health Clinic, says, “The body functions as a unit or a complete system. We often see illnesses manifest in different places. Think of diabetes — the problem lies in your pancreas, but you might be experiencing frequent skin infections. The mechanism by which the eye is involved is different for each illness.”
Dr Sharif Issa, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital, says, “Common diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid and endocrine diseases, can be discovered from the eyes. Many other conditions can also affect the eyes, such as rheumatic conditions and multiple sclerosis.”
Diabetes as a cause
Diabetes, which can sometimes cause blurred vision, is particularly prevalent in the region and is therefore definitely something to look out for.
Dr Issa says, “I am very interested in diabetes as it is one of the leading causes of blindness in the working-age group.”
However, he adds, “Blindness is 100 per cent preventable. The deceptive bit is that sugar levels may be fine, but diabetics really need to check their eyes. If we catch a problem early enough, we can prevent blindness.” Other common conditions, such as high cholesterol, can also be seen in the eye area.
So although some things might well be easy to spot, take a closer look at your eyes, as you never know what they might tell you about your health.
