If you can see, your eyes are doing a lot for you. They basically guide you around the world, tell you what colors things are, and a whole bunch of other things. It only makes sense that your eyes are able to tell you a thing or two about your health, especially if you find they’re acting a little funky lately.
If you notice any of these weird symptoms, your eyes might be trying to tell you something.
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White spots.
If you wear contact lenses, you might notice a few white spots on your cornea (the clear layer on the front of your eyeball). This could be a sign of a corneal infection, which is when the cornea is damaged by a foreign object. If it’s accompanied by pain and inflammation, make an appointment to see your eye doctor. Don’t worry, it’s common. You’ll just probably have to stop wearing your contacts for a few days.
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A twitch.
If you notice that your eye keeps twitching no matter what you try and do to stop it, try to take some time to mellow out. This is a sign you might be under a lot of stress. Draw yourself a bath, read a book, and head to bed early.
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Blurry vision.
This of course could just mean you have poor vision, but if blurry vision is persistent, it could be a sign of a bigger problem, like diabetes. Seventy-three percent of people with diabetes said they experienced blurred vision, according to a study in American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Blurry vision could also be an early warning sign of other eye conditions, such as cataracts or macular degeneration.
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A white ring.
Most common in the elderly, sometimes a white ring appears around the iris, and this could be a sign of high cholesterol and triglycerides. And if you have that, you’re at higher risk of heart attack or stroke. Contact your eye doctor or physician if you notice a white ring.
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Dry eyes.
If your eyes are always super dry, this could be a sign of dry eye syndrome, which results when you don’t have enough lubrication and moisture on your eye. You can get some over the counter lubrication drops or see your doctor to get a prescription. Having dry eyes could also mean you have allergies.
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Yellow patch.
If you suddenly see a yellow-y patch or bump on the side of your eye, you might be spending too much time in the sun. This patch is called a pinguecula, and it can develop the way any sun damage side effects can. See your eye doctor, and try investing in sunglasses with super high UV protection.
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Yellow color all over.
If the whites of your eyes turn yellow, this can feel frightening at first. This is likely due to jaundice, which is when your liver isn’t able to filter your cells and a yellow compound called bilirubin builds up and turns your eyes yellow. Your skin may have a yellow tint as well. Jaundice could indicate an infection in your liver, so you should definitely see your doctor if this happens to you.
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Teary eyes.
Work on a computer all day? Watch a lot of Netflix? Spending a little too much time on Snapchat? Consistent staring at screens can cause your eyes to tear up. It’s common—just try to lay off the phone for a bit.
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Blood red eyes.
If you can see broken blood vessels, don’t be alarmed—this is common or people who are constantly straining their eyes. Sometimes this is common to accompany a cold when you’re coughing a lot, or if you’re staying up late at night and straining to keep your eyes open.
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Eye floaters.
You know that feeling when you all of a sudden see little specs of things moving around? You probably do, since this is a pretty common thing and just happen form time to time. The time to be concerned, however, is you suddenly see the floaters all the time—this might be a sign of a retinal tear or even detachment.
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Puffy, red eyes.
If they have no other symptoms accompanying puffy and red eyes (itchy or irritated, for example), you’re probably just really tired and need some sleep. Get to bed!
Did you know your eyes could indicate so much about your health? Have you ever had any of these eye symptoms?