The notion that an eye test can potentially save your life may sound dramatic, but it's true.
When a retiree noticed a change in her vision in one eye and went in for an eye test, her optometrist detected the possible early symptoms of a stroke and sent her straight to the hospital. The medical team discovered that the patient's carotid artery was almost completely blocked and that she was in imminent risk of suffering from a stroke.
Her eye test may have saved her life!
While not all medical conditions that may be uncovered during a comprehensive eye test are that urgent, there's a lot we can learn from this life-saving story.
At For Beautiful Eyes in The Junction we'll assess your vision and eye health not only for signs of eye disease, but to catch other medical conditions as early as possible.
Eye Health and General Health Conditions: Are They Related?
In addition to giving your optometrist insight into your eye health, what else can a thorough eye test tell us about your general health?
An eye test can alert us to a patient's multiple sclerosis, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and even Alzheimer's disease.
During a retinal exam, your optometrist analyses the health of the blood vessels in your eyes. For example, too much blood sugar due to diabetes causes the blood vessels to narrow, affecting the flow of blood to parts of the body, including the eyes. And the blockage of a blood vessel can signal a stroke.
For multiple sclerosis, one early warning sign is damage to the optic nerve, something your optometrist can detect during an eye test
It goes without saying that a comprehensive eye test also enables your optometrist to diagnose sight-threatening conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts. The sooner they're diagnosed and treated, the lower the chances of permanent vision loss.
So keep your body and eyes healthy with regular eye tests. We invite you to schedule your appointment by calling For Beautiful Eyes in The Junction today!
FAQ
How Can An Eye Test Detect a Brain Tumour?
During a comprehensive eye test an optometrist checks the nerves in the eyes. A brain tumour can cause the nerves to swell. Additionally, sudden vision loss or the shrinking of the visual field can be a symptom of a problem in the brain, including, rarely, a tumour.
How Often Should Diabetics Have an Eye Exam?
Diabetics have a higher risk of eye disease than the general population, so it's crucial that they have regular diabetic eye tests at least once a year, or as recommended by their optometrist.