A vision test can give your optometrist a glimpse of your general health and not just optical problems. Your doctor can spot or measure your risk for diseases by checking parts of your eyes, like the eyelids, cornea and iris, with a microscope, increasing the likelihood of early and effective treatment.

Here’s a look at what diseases can be detected in an exam.

1. Diabetes

Diabetes is a prevalent condition affecting nearly 16 million Americans age 65 and older. Can an eye exam detect diabetes? The answer is yes. A comprehensive look into your eyes can determine if you’re at risk of an anomaly in your sugar levels. Your doctor may suspect diabetes if they detect changes in the retina’s blood vessels. 

Irregularities in the retina associated with diabetes can include bleeding, poor blood flow in certain areas, and fluid leakage. Any of these can strongly indicate diabetes. Your doctor may recommend a blood sugar test to confirm the initial finding. 

2. Serious eye diseases

In most cases, eye conditions result from aging and are common in older people. Clear vision is essential in doing tasks, yet seniors struggle with it due to their declining visual abilities. 

Age-related macular degeneration risks increase 30% after 75. The main risk factor is advancing age, with the severity of vision loss ranging from mild to severe. Early detection can be helpful to prevent disease progression. 

An eye exam can also detect glaucoma is a disease that damages your eye’s optic nerve. It usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of your eye. That extra fluid increases the pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve. The result is vision loss and blindness. The symptoms can start so slowly that people may not notice them. The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

An eye exam can also detect other visual impairments such as cataracts. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your eye (the clear part of the eye that helps to focus light). Proteins in your lens break down and cause things to look blurry, hazy or less colorful. Cataracts are very common as you get older. Aging is the most common cause. People over age 60 usually start to have some clouding of their lenses. However, vision problems may not happen until years later. In fact, more than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have had surgery to get rid of cataracts.

An eye exam can also detect diabetic retinopathy which is an eye condition that can cause vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes. It affects blood vessels in the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of your eye). If you have diabetes, it’s important to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year so you can catch it before it becomes severe.

3. High blood pressure

High blood pressure is a common condition that harms the retina. An eye exam can detect high blood pressure in four different outcomes: 

  • Blood vessel damage: It occurs when the blood flow to the retina is hindered, leading to blurry vision or blindness.
  • Fluid buildup under the retina: The accumulated fluid affects the back of the eyeball, which is sensitive to light, causing distorted optical signals.
  • Nerve damage: Some cells die when blood flow to the retina is cut off, resulting in temporary or permanent vision loss. 
  • Stroke-induced vision loss: Vision problems after a stroke can signify high blood pressure. 

4. High cholesterol

Eye problems are potential signs if you have too much bad fat in your body. Three common symptoms determine what an eye doctor can tell about your health.

  • Xanthelasma: Yellow bumps near the eyelids or nose are precursors of high cholesterol. 
  • Arcus senilis: Your eye checkup result shows a white, blue, or light gray ring appearing near the iris.
  • Retinal vein occlusion: When the retina doesn’t receive enough blood due to the blocked vein, you may experience central vision problems, suggesting high cholesterol. 

5. Heart disease

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of fatality among Americans. Can an eye exam detect heart problems and reduce the death toll? Surprisingly, a microscopic view of your sight can reveal markers of heart illnesses, such as plaques.

Arteries that are clogged due to plaque buildup can affect the blood vessels connected to other body parts, including the eyes. Plaque forms when cholesterol sticks to the artery walls, hampering blood flow. These fat deposits become visible during a vision test and help your doctor track your risk for heart disease. 

6. Dementia

One in every nine or 11.3% of seniors 65 and older lives with Alzheimer’s disease, and this figure is anticipated to increase by 2050. Experts have limited knowledge of the cause of this brain disease. Most cases of cognitive impairment are diagnosed when memory loss is evident enough for doctors to identify. 

Can an eye exam detect neurological problems? It could be a key to spotting dementia at its earliest stage. Although more research is required, experts found that the blood vessel density between Alzheimer’s patients and those with mild cognitive impairment was statistically significant, based on a retinal scan. This discovery could be the first step to driving down dementia cases worldwide.

7. Brain aneurysm

A cerebral aneurysm occurs when the walls of the arteries supplying blood to the brain become weak and bulge like a balloon. You may not experience any symptoms, making it tricky to spot and treat. 

Can an eye exam detect a brain aneurysm? In several instances, doctors discovered an aneurysm through a diagnostic test unrelated to the brain — one of them is an eye checkup. 

An eye exam can reveal a swollen optic nerve or bleeding retina, signaling pressure in the brain that may be connected with an aneurysm. Your doctor may do other tests, like a CT scan or MRI, to confirm its presence. 

Make eye checkups part of your annual wellness plan

More conditions are being detected with a comprehensive optical check, proving the eyes are indeed the windows of the soul. It’s medically wise to have an exam annually to get more insight into your body. Think of it as a way to confirm the state of your overall health and gauge your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other common illnesses.

Jack Shaw is a writer and editor for the lifestyle magazine Modded, as well as a car enthusiast and lover of nature, trying to enjoy life one day at a time.

•November 9, 2023