Retinal Imaging for Brain Disease

We already know that checking your eye health can tell us a lot about general health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, thyroid disease, and more – but it’s possible that a retinal scan could one day help detect early signs of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease!
The eyes really are a window to your health 🙂

Read more here: Retinal imaging could provide window into brain disease (The Globe and Mail)

Continue ReadingRetinal Imaging for Brain Disease

Underlying Health Conditions Visible In The Eyes

During a comprehensive eye exam, Dr. Lee does much more than just determine your prescription for glasses or contact lenses. She will also check your eyes for common diseases, assess how well they work together as a team, and look for indicators of potentially serious health conditions that affect your whole body. A number of underlying health conditions can be detected through a comprehensive eye exam, ranging from high blood pressure and diabetes to certain forms of cancer. Because the eye is the only part of the body in which blood vessels can be viewed without invasive techniques, it can be the first place that conditions like high blood pressure is detected. Other health conditions that may show signs in the eyes include tumours, aneurysms, autoimmune disorders, thyroid disease, sickle cell disease, liver disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological or brain disorders.

A comprehensive eye exam includes tests of peripheral vision and eye muscle function and can often be the first line of detection of a brain tumour. The eye and its surrounding tissues are one of the most common areas of the body where skin cancer is first diagnosed. The muscles attached to the eye that are responsible for coordinated eye movements are controlled through nerves that arise directly from the brain. Several neurological conditions, which affect the brain, including Parkinson’s disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, can affect eye movements and even cause double vision.
A comprehensive eye exam can detect problems with eye movement, and vision training or spectacle (eyeglass) therapy can improve the ability of the eyes to track and work together.

Continue ReadingUnderlying Health Conditions Visible In The Eyes

The Eyes are Windows to Your Health

Eye exams are not just for glasses! The back of the eye is the only place where blood vessels can be viewed directly without breaking skin, so there are diseases that can by caught by an eye doctor before you start noticing symptoms anywhere else. It is so important to have your eyes checked regularly, even if you think your vision is fine. “Regularly” means at least once every two years, or yearly if there are health problems that run in the family.

Follow the link below to see 14 health problems which your eye doctor can see first, including diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, and more!

What Eye Exams Can Tell You About Your Overall Health 

Continue ReadingThe Eyes are Windows to Your Health