Your eyes show the strength of not only your soul but also your heart. Changes in your eyes can be an indication of a heart issue. The heart is a vital organ that pumps blood, supplies oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Even though it plays such an important role in the human body, we end up taking it for granted. Some of the heart ailments are silent, they catch you off guard and can lead to different health concerns. However, do you know that your eyes carry the early symptoms of a heart problem? Your eyes are not only the window of your soul, in a prosaic light, but they become the window of your heart’s health too.
A closer look into your eyes can indicate the underlying heart issues, which may be at a preliminary stage and are not seeking your attention. Here is how your eyes are connected to your heart. The retina vasculature, i.e. the arrangement of blood vessels at the back of your eyes is diligently connected to your heart’s health. It indicates that an eye problem is directly connected to your heart. So, when you go to the ophthalmologist for an eye concern, by dilating the eyes and conducting an eye examination, he may ask you to consult a cardiologist.
Some of your eye issues for which your ophthalmologist can direct you to a cardiologist include,
1.Transient Monocular Vision:
It refers to a temporary loss of vision in one eye, and when the vision returns after a few minutes, it is usually normal with no signs of any such episode. Considering it stress-related and ignoring the same may not be the right approach. Instead, one should immediately consult an ophthalmologist, who is likely to refer this to a cardiologist as it might be a vascular disease.
Have you ever noticed red blood spots on the white part of the eyes when you have a cough? It is referred to as subconjunctival haemorrhage and can be a sign of uncontrolled blood pressure.
After a thorough eye examination, if the ophthalmologist notices silver or copper coloured arteries it is an indication of high blood pressure.
4.Headaches and Double Vision:
If a patient complains of a headache along with double vision, it can be a critical situation. It is possible that the patient has a high risk of getting a stroke.
5.Leaking Blood Vessels:
During an eye check-up, if the doctor notices abnormal blood vessels or spots from a blood vessel leaking it hints towards diabetes, which is clogging or damaging the blood vessels.
Along with hypertension and diabetes, an eye examination can sometimes help in detecting blocked arteries. If small emboli get detected in an eye, it could be related to blocked arteries. The embolus travels through the arteries and gets stuck in a small body organ like the brain or retina if the arteries are blocked. This can prevent the blood flow leading to blindness, stroke or tissue damage.
Your eyes not only help you to see but have a lot to say about you and your heart’s condition. So, getting regular eye examinations done by an Ophthalmologist should be a must for everyone, even when the vision seems fine. Along with detecting various heart concerns, it can also help in the diagnosis of different eye problems like glaucoma, cataract, which are treatable. This World Heart Day, give your heart and eyes the care they need. Book an eye check-up with Vision Express to get your eyes tested by certified optometrists.