They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but they can also be the window into your health. If you look closely your eyes are able to tell you whether you're at risk of getting certain conditions.
The color, shape and pupil size of your eyes can give you an indication about health issues you may face in your lifetime.
An annual exam is recommended to everyone, especially those over 40-years-old. Changes in the eye and body mean that eye doctors have important conditions to look for, even if vision is stable.
So what do your eyes say about your health?
Hearing Loss
Do you love to crank up your music a little to loud? Well studies have shown that when exposed to loud environments, brown-eyed people have less hearing loss than those with blue eyes.
Since brown-eyed people have more melanin, what gives your skin, hair and eyes color, it could give them more protection to loud noise levels.
Alcohol Dependence
According to a 2015 study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics (Part B) people with blue eyes are more likely to drink alcohol and may have a higher risk of becoming addicted.
Researchers have found that those with light-colored eyes have a higher incidence of alcohol dependency than those who have dark-brown eyes.
Stroke Risk
Have you taken a close look at your pupils? The condition known as anisocoria occurs when a person has different sized pupils. Many people have different sized pupils and don't experience any health conditions as a result, but this symptom could be telling of some serious health issues with your nervous system.
Those who have this symptom may be at a higher risk of stroke and viral infections.
Diabetes
Red spots, caused by dots of blood in the eye can be a sign of diabetes. If blood sugar builds up too high, blood vessels begin to get blocked and swell up. This can burst the tiny blood vessels in the retina, which can cause bleeding.
High Cholesterol
This unbalance can cause white rings to develop around the eyes. It can also cause yellowish bumps to appear in the eyelids. Older patients are likely to develop similar white rings, but regardless it's good to have your cholesterol checked by a doctor.
When was the last time you took a good look at your eyes? Share with us in the comments.
Source: AARP / Business Insider