When it comes to having good vision for a lifetime, it’s ultimately important to be in good overall health to ensure good eye health. Protecting your eyes from the sun and from trauma is important, but eating right, exercise, and regular checkups can go a long way to prevent other sorts of ocular problems later in life.
The team here at Broberg Eye Care has helped countless patients who suffer from various eye health conditions. Some of these conditions are linked to medical issues that have nothing to do with the eyes per se. Let’s take a look at several medical conditions and how they can lead to vision and eye health problems.
Diabetes
People who suffer from diabetes for many years may be at risk of a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. This condition related to high blood sugar involves the blood vessels of the eye leaking onto the retina, which can result in serious vision loss and even blindness. Diabetics also run a higher risk of developing cataracts and glaucoma.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Problems with your blood pressure can be linked to a host of health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Over time, the issues with your blood pressure can result in damage to the blood vessels in and around the eyes.
Measles
While many people are vaccinated to avoid measles, a number of cases still do occur among children and even adults. If measles affects the eyes, it can result in conjunctivitis. Should the inflammation get worse, the condition can lead to infections of the cornea, corneal damage, infections of the optic never, and even vision loss.
Lyme Disease
Like measles, Lyme disease can potentially result in eye infections that cause serious vision loss. In addition to conjunctivitis, the inflammation can also affect the middle portion of the eye (uveitis), the optic nerve, and even the blood vessels of the retinas.
Shingles
Shingles are a painful viral infection that result in blisters and rashes around the body. If they affect the face (particularly the eye area), this can result in eye pain, inflammation around the eyes, and swelling of the eyelids.
Autoimmune Conditions
There are many kinds of autoimmune diseases that can impact your vision. In many cases, problems with the eyes are among the first symptoms of autoimmune conditions. Early on, patients may experience red eyes, itchy eyes, or frequent dry eye. If the condition is undiagnosed or untreated, it’s possible for patients to experience eye pain, light sensitivity, changes to vision quality, and even vision loss.
Rosacea
Rosacea is a skin condition that leads to redness of the face. When the rosacea is located around the eyes, it can result in dry eye, itchy eyes, burning sensation around the eyes, and redness of the eyes. The condition can also result in swelling of the eyelids and increased sensitivity to light.
Liver Disease
Liver disease such as cirrhosis can lead to a number of eye problems, such as dry eye and itchiness of the eyes, as well as collections of fat on a person’s eyelids. Corneal damage and lens damage can occur if the condition goes untreated.
Malnutrition
A poor diet can have many drastic effects on your overall health and wellness. If you’re eating poorly, this could increase your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. A lack of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet such as vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and lutein can lead to an increased risk of age-related vision conditions such as macular degeneration.
Sickle Cell Disease
People who suffer from conditions that cause abnormally shaped blood cells run a number of health risks. For people with sickle cell disease, these abnormal blood cells can lead to damaged blood vessels in the eyes, eventually resulting in blindness if not dealt with in a timely manner.
Learn More about Vision Health Options
For more information about improving your overall health and wellness as a way of preventing vision problems, be sure to contact an experienced eye doctor today. At Broberg Eye Care, we can perform an exam and offer an honest assessment of your vision care options.