Jess Hardiman
An eye expert can learn a lot more about your health than just how well your vision’s faring, it turns out.
Going for an eye test is crucial if you want to keep tabs on your general eye health, as they can not only flag if you need glasses or an updated prescription, but also highlight other concerns like glaucoma or astigmatism.
“For most people, it's advisable to have an eye test every two years, but it's best to attend earlier if any eye problems occur or if advised by your optometrist,” Specsavers advises on its website, saying eye problems of note include: blurry or cloudy vision; sudden onset blurred vision; reduced vision; eye twitching; floaters or black dots in vision; something in your eye or ‘gritty eyes’; itchy eyes; bloodshot or red eye; headaches; swollen or puffy eyelid; scratched eye; sore or red eye; and flashing lights with or without floaters.
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However, it’s not just eye-related ailments that optometrists are able to discover through examining your eyes.
One eye doctor recently took part in a Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA), saying: “Now is the time to dispel any myths and address any concerns!”
While one person had a question about floaters, another asked about diagnosing ‘certain diseases’.
“I've heard you can preliminarily diagnose certain diseases or ‘see’ undisclosed bad habits from examining the eye,” they began, asking: “Can you elaborate?”
The doctor replied to say there are three key vascular diseases they can often spot, along with a series of other issues.
“Yes I can see vascular disease (diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure),” they replied, adding that they can also notice ‘autoimmune disease, strokes, neurological issues and much more’.
As for those floaters, the eye expert explained in another comment: “Eye floaters are common, they are basically wads of connective tissue floating around the vitreous (jelly part of the eye that gives it the structure and shape).
“If they are longstanding it is fine. If you wake up one morning with new ones and start seeing flashing lights you should see an eye doc ASAP!”
The NHS also explains that eye floaters are usually caused by a harmless process called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), where the gel inside your eyes changes.
It claims lots of people - especially senior citizens - get floaters and flashes, so it’s a pretty common phenomenon.
These peculiar shapes may appear to some as black or grey dots, while others have previously complained of seeing wavy lines or cobwebs.