Eye health: Nutritionist reveals foods that protect your eyes
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
An expert has shared some of the colour changes in your eyes that could be cause for alarm. Red spots, blue rings around the iris and a yellow tinge might be indicative of something else. Speaking with Express.co.uk, clinical services director at Specsavers – Giles Edmonds – explained more.
Red spots – Mr Edmonds said: “Red spots on the front of your eyes can often be caused by broken blood vessels from something as simple as a cough or a sneeze.
“While in most cases they are nothing to worry about, if your eyes remain red for some time it is important to get them looked at as it could be an indication of high blood pressure.
“High blood pressure can mean you have a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke and it can also lead to complications with your vision.
“During an eye test, your optometrist might also spot signs of high blood pressure, through observing the eye’s blood vessels to see if they have narrowed or started leaking.
“Patients with high blood pressure can develop a condition called hypertensive retinopathy which sees the walls of blood vessels thicken, narrow and restrict blood flow.
“In some cases the retina also becomes swollen and the blood vessels can leak.”
Blue ring – “Some people may notice a blue-tinted ring appear around their iris, particularly as they age,” he added.
“This is caused by cholesterol deposits in the eye.
“They are more common in those aged 60 and above and aren’t usually something to worry about.
“However, if these develop in the under 40s, there may be a greater risk of developing heart disease.”
Yellow tinge – Mr Edmonds said: “Typically, yellowing of the eyes is caused by jaundice.
“The condition occurs when haemoglobin (part of the blood which carries oxygen) breaks down into bilirubin, which isn’t then cleared from the body.
“It is meant to move from the liver to the bile ducts, but if this doesn’t happen yellowing of the skin – and the eyes – can occur and could signify there is a problem with the liver, gallbladder or pancreas.”
You should also be wary if you start to notice blurred vision.
“Blurred vision can be caused by many things and it is vital you get it checked out,” Mr Edmonds said.
“Poorly controlled diabetes can cause swelling of the lenses inside the eye which can cause rapid deteriorations in vision.
“The sudden onset of blurry vision could also be a sign of stroke, particularly if combined with some of the other key signs such as slurred speech and dropping of the face.
“Blurry vision could also indicate other eye conditions such as cataract or age-related macular degeneration too.”
Source: Read Full Article
