Healthy eyes are a vital part of a healthy life. And not just so that you can see well for a lifetime, although good vision is one important aspect of living well and maintaining independence. Problems spotted in the eyes are often the first signs of disease developing elsewhere in the body. Your eyes tell the story about what is happening in your blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues throughout your entire body.
This Healthy Vision Month, at Ighani Eye Care, we would like to dedicate some time to educating our amazing patient family about the incredible importance of having regular comprehensive eye exams. “Many eye conditions and diseases have no early warning signs,” explained Dr. Farshid Ighani, board certified ophthalmologist and founder of Ighani Eye Care. “This is where a dilated comprehensive medical eye exam is so important.”
In addition, there are several serious medical conditions that can be detected in a dilated comprehensive medical eye exam, including:
- Diabetes – Diabetes causes the weakening of the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. As a result, fluid and blood leak from these weakened vessels, and new vessels that grow can be distorted and begin to bleed, a condition called diabetic retinopathy. This leakage can injure the retina, leading to loss of vision.
- High Blood Pressure – Unusual bends in or bleeding from blood vessels in the back of the eye can signal high blood pressure, which affects one in three American adults. High blood pressure is a well known risk factor in the onset and progression of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and many other diseases.
- High Cholesterol – Deposits in the blood vessels of the retina can indicate elevated cholesterol and this can be spotted in a dilated eye exam.
- Heart Disease – We may be able to detect early signs of heart disease in the eyes. When the retina is examined carefully using an imaging tool called optical coherence tomography, we are able to detect microscopic marks left behind by an eye stroke. And studies show that people with heart disease tend to show evidence of eye stroke in their retinas.
- Certain Types of Cancers – Several different types of cancer can be identified during a comprehensive eye exam. Skin cancers can affect the eyelids and outer surfaces of the eye. Leukemia and lymphoma can also affect the interior part of the eye and certain types of tumors can spread to ocular structures.
- Stroke – Blood vessels in the retina can contain blockages or clots, which can cause sudden blind spots. These symptoms can point to an increased risk for stroke.
- Vascular Disease – Clotting and bleeding disorders can in some cases cause visible bleeding in and around the eye. These conditions can also cause retinal hemorrhages that, if left unaddressed, threaten vision.
- Multiple Sclerosis – Inflammation of the optic nerve can be an early sign of multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease affecting the nervous system. Often, this optic nerve inflammation is accompanied by blurred vision, painful eye movement or double vision.
- Lyme Disease – Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks, which leads to inflammation throughout the body. Many people with Lyme disease experience inflammation of the optic nerve as well as the occurrence of floaters in their field of vision at the onset of infection.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis – Ocular signs of rheumatoid arthritis commonly include red, painful eyes. Many people with this condition also suffer from dry eye.
At Ighani Eye Care, We Care. You’ll See
To increase your chances of having healthy eyes for a lifetime, a visit to Ighani Eye Care is the right place to start. Our experienced ophthalmologists Dr. Farshid Ighani and Dr. Brian Anding, along with our compassionate clinical team, are dedicated to making sure your eyes are healthy and you are able to live your best life with the vision you deserve.
If you haven’t yet had an annual comprehensive exam this year, what better time than Healthy Vision Month?! We invite you to schedule at Ighani Eye Care today. We would love the opportunity to earn your trust and it would be an honor to serve you.
