The eyes are connected to the central nervous system and many other organs. Consequently, when these organs are affected, the eyes can also experience significant impacts. Here are some warning signs to be aware of.

Seeing blind spots and halos

Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve, making vision more difficult. Seeing blind spots or halos (bright circles around lights) can be a warning sign of this condition. Blind spots are areas of obstructed vision. They can occur due to the eye's physiological blind spot or other vision problems like "floaters".

These blind spots can appear anywhere, along the outer edge of vision or closer to the center. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), over time, these blind spots can increase and eventually lead to blindness. Patients may also experience symptoms such as blurred vision, eye pain, forehead pain, headaches, and red eyes.

Difficulty seeing at night, sensitivity to bright light

According to the AAO, cataracts cloud the eye's lens, which is responsible for focusing light to help you see clearly. A normal lens is transparent, but an eye with cataracts will appear cloudy, blurry, or even have poor color perception.

As people age, lens cells grow and die, leading to an accumulation of debris that clouds the lens and distorts light entering the eye. Cataracts can cause a range of symptoms, including difficulty seeing at night, increased sensitivity to glare, or needing brighter lights for reading and other activities. Colors may fade, and everything might even appear more yellow than usual.

Distorted vision

Macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss in older adults (especially those over 50), making it difficult to see objects in the center of your vision. The retina is responsible for focusing light clearly to help a person see fine details. Macular degeneration occurs when the eye cannot remove byproducts formed by photoreceptor cells in the retina. These byproducts form deposits, known as drusen, which disrupt the smooth layers of the retina and can lead to distorted vision.

Macular degeneration can distort objects or faces, making straight lines appear wavy. Since macular degeneration affects central vision, a patient's peripheral vision may remain normal. Peripheral vision is the ability to see objects and movements around the direct line of sight without turning one's head.

Poor vision as if a curtain is drawn over the eye

In some cases, high cholesterol can affect vision, making it more difficult to see over time. Individuals with high cholesterol may experience temporary, transient vision loss that then disappears, similar to a curtain being drawn over the eye.

This is because when there is too much cholesterol, it can accumulate in the blood and block blood vessels. Blocked blood vessels leading to the retina can affect vision. High cholesterol can also cause cholesterol plaques to appear in and around the eyes, such as gray rings around the cornea or yellow nodules on the eyelids (xanthelasma).

Bulging eyes, larger than normal

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ located in the neck that controls hormones regulating growth and metabolism. If the thyroid gland does not function properly, it can cause swelling of the eye muscles and orbital congestion, leading to the eyes protruding and appearing larger than normal. Thyroid disease can sometimes also cause double vision.

Graves' disease, an autoimmune condition affecting the thyroid, can also cause the eyelids to retract, making the eyes appear larger than normal.

Bao Bao (Source: Prevention)