What your eyes reveal about your health

If the eyes are the mirror of the soul, they can also be the window to your state of health. Depending on their colour, the state of their pupils or the swelling of their eyelids, your body can indicate if there is something wrong with it.

Your eyes can reveal certain diseases

In addition to the consultation with the ophthalmologist, you have probably noticed that your eyes are sometimes examined by your general practitioner when you go for a check-up. You yourself, by inspecting your eyes, can find clues as to what is wrong with your body. The pupil is a good example: if it dilates very slowly, or is constantly dilated, it may be a sign of cocaine and amphetamine use. This is why heroin users have very constricted pupils.

Another part of this organ that can give you information is the colour of the white of the eye. If it is red, it's a sign that you have an infection, but it can also be a sign of alcohol abuse. If it is yellow, it may indicate a liver problem (e.g. hepatitis), jaundice, or even a genetic disease.

Moreover, when a white arc forms around the cornea, it may mean that your cholesterol level is too high. This condition is called Arcus Senilis, according to WebMD.

An app to read your pupils

When you look at your face in the mirror, you can also look at the size of your eyes: if one is more swollen than the other, or if both your eyes seem to have grown larger than usual, this may indicate a problem with the thyroid gland.

Also, take care to inspect your eyelids: when they twitch involuntarily and you feel small spasms, this can be a sign of stress. It is a very unpleasant sensation that can also hide a nutritional imbalance.

In addition to this, swelling and redness should be treated immediately as they can be a sign of bacteria. As you can see, the condition of our eyes can help to make a diagnosis. Silicon Valley has even seized the idea to develop an application linked to eye secrets: theUniversity of California San Diego has developed a system, via the phone's camera, that can detect changes in pupil size. This application would have the ability to detect future Alzheimer's patients.

This article is translated from GentsideFR.

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